Blindsided
by ravenskyeblackhawk
Summary: Yuki is a former runaway who has amassed wealth and prestige, along with a jaded lifestyle. Kagome is young woman with a painful past who unknowingly manages to worm her way into his steelplated heart. YukiKagome pairing
1. Chapter 1

**Blindsided** by Raven Skye Blackhawk

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Chapter 1

"Oi, Kagome! You comin' over or not?"

Kagome tried not to sigh too heavily into the phone. "No, Inuyasha. I've already told you that I can't go today. My best friend is coming to stay with me for awhile, remember? I have to finish cleaning up the house. I'm really sorry, Inuyasha." She sincerely hoped he wouldn't get mad at her for telling him no.

It was Inuyasha's turn to sigh. "But Kagome," he whined pitiously in her ear, "you promised! I've been waiting to clean your clock at Mario Kart forever and _now _you go and turn me down. Damn, you're such a tease."

"Sumimasen, Inuyasha! My friend has decided to arrive sooner. Besides, you know that I'm terrible at playing video games anyway. But if teasing you is what I've done, then I apologize. I don't mean to...to... be a tease," she stammered, ducking her head despite the fact that he couldn't see her flaming scarlet cheeks.

Tease? she thought wildly. That's ridiculous! If there was _one_ thing she could never be accused of, was being a tease. You'd need to be a ballsy type to be a tease and she most definitely _wasn't_ ballsy. She shook her head and continued wiping down the bathroom sink, listening silently while Inuyasha continued to bemoan his misfortune.

Eventually, he emitted another sigh, full of defeat. "Oh, very well, Kagome. Very well. But this isn't over yet, my girl! I have just thought of a proposition for you." His voice sounded smug.

Kagome stiffened, her hand ceasing its back and forth movement. A proposition? "What kind of of proposition?" she asked warily. She did not trust that note in his voice. But that wasn't the only thing about him she didn't trust...

"Here's the deal. I promise to leave you alone _today_ so that you can finish cleaning. _But_," he said, his voice holding hints of amusement and triumph, "you have to go out with me next Friday."

This stunned Kagome into immobility. Never would she imagine that someone like _him_ would ever ask someone like _her_ out on a date. She dropped the sponge, put a hand to her mouth and hoped like mad that he hadn't said what she thought he said. "I-Inuyasha? I'm sorry, I think my line broke up for a second there. Could you please repeat that?"

Inuyasha grunted in her ear but repeated his words. "I said that I promised to leave you alone today, but only if you go out with me next Friday."

"Oh." That was all she could manage at the moment. Her eyes went to her reflection in the mirror that covered a good portion of her spare bathroom wall. A very red-faced girl stared back at her. A very red-faced, _trembling_ girl.

There was silence on Inuyasha's end for a second. "Kagome?" As time wore on, the smugness was replaced by worry. "Kagome? Are you there?"

She lowered her hand but said nothing. What _could_ she say?

"Sweetheart! Are you okay?" The worry was beginning to verge on panic. "Kagome? Are you there?"

Thanking Kami that he wouldn't be able to hear her tears falling, she replied, "Yes, Inuyasha. I'm here." Just not okay, she thought glumly. Unable to look at herself anymore in the mirror, she turned away so that her back faced it. Inuyasha must be losing his eyesight. How could he bring himself to want to go out with _her?_

He let loose another sigh, this time a relieved one. "You didn't say anything for a minute. I was getting worried," he muttered irritably. "Well? So what's your answer?"

For a minute, Kagome felt sick. If she said anything about feeling ill, he'd be over in a flash, ready and willing to play nurse. He'd done it once before, back when--

"WELL?" he growled impatiently into the phone. "You know I won't leave you alone until I get an answer, so what's it gonna be?"

She couldn't stand the thought of having him come over and fuss over her, and if she didn't give him some kind of reply, he _would _ bother her until she gave in. But why would he ask _her_ out when there were tons of girls who'd willingly throw themselves at him? Girls who were beautiful and smart... Girls not like her. "Why are you doing this, Inuyasha?" she asked quietly.

He chuckled. "Why? Because you won't give me an answer, that's why."

"No. That's not what I meant. Why are you asking me out_?"_

Now it was his turn to be silent for a moment. At last he replied, "Because I like you, Kagome."

"I see." Kagome grabbed a Kleenex and wiped her eyes.

"I don't think you do," Inuyasha said quietly.

"Oh, but I do, Inuyasha," she said just as quietly. "I'll talk to you later." She hung up on him before he could say anymore.

A minute later the phone rang, but she didn't pick up. It was Inuyasha calling her. Thank heavens for caller id, she thought, grabbing her car keys and purse and leaving the house.

On the way to the store, Kagome managed to calm herself down. She was pretty sure that he hadn't asked her out as a joke, or a bet (which he had actually done once and lost on purpose because he felt so bad about doing it to her; he'd confessed this to her just recently) or anything equally as hurtful. At least, she didn't think so, but she couldn't be sure. It had been a very long time since she trusted him with anything. During her teen years, she had put on quite a bit of weight...and that had made her the butt of Inuyasha's jokes. He had always been very athletic and it was his firm belief that everyone else needed to be as well, and of course he never missed an opportunity to remind her of just how fat she was.

Impatiently, Kagome wiped away some more tears as they began to fall. She had always tried hard to laugh off his cruel words, but failed miserably.

She had, at one point, tried to make excuses for his hurtful attitude towards her, but of course Hiro never believed her. Inuyasha never held back his words, be they pleasant or unpleasant. Subtlety was _not_ his forte.

A hour later and a half later found Kagome pacing restlessly back and forth in her neat living room. Her friend had not yet arrived and she was very anxious. They should be here by now!

The sound of a car pulling up outside caught Kagome's attention. Instead of going to the nearest window, she ran to the front door and dashed outside. He was here at last!

"Kagome!" A tall man alighted from a late model Honda and ran up to her, arms outstretched. She threw herself into his waiting arms with a cry. "Oh, my tiny, tiny darling," whispered the tall man against her black hair. "How have you been? Have you been taking care of yourself? I've missed you so much!"

Smiling at the barrage of questions, Kagome buried her face against his chest and held on to him for dear life. After a moment, she pulled back and looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. "I'm just fine, Hiro," she said, giving him a watery smile. "I'm glad you haven't changed at all." Her eyes took him in.

Hiro had always been incredibly handsome. He possessed a head of silken, unruly chocolate brown curls and the gentlest pair of brown eyes she had ever seen. Since she'd seen him last, she suspected that he had grown a bit and put on a few pounds. But that was fine! From what she could see, he looked incredible.

Right now, those lovely eyes were studying her pretty hard. "You look... healthy," he remarked with some surprise. Then his lips turned upwards in one of his brilliant smiles. "I'm so glad. I'm so very glad. I was afraid that you would be wasted away, but I see that you're not. He must be taking extra care with you, beloved."

Nodding, Kagome blushed and looked away. "Yes. He makes sure that I'm eating enough... I tell him not to worry, but he does anyway." She paused and shook her head. "Anyway, let's get your stuff unloaded. I know you must be tired from the long drive." Kagome pulled away and headed for his car.

Watching her slim figure digging around in the trunk for his bags, Hiro frowned. She may be healthy looking, but Kagome was _far_ too skinny for his liking. He remembered how she used to look many years ago and the comparison was quite startling. Back then, she had been plump, but she was also glowing with life... when Inuyasha wasn't being an asshole to her. That little glow had begun dying slowly but surely... and now... there was almost nothing left.

He went over to her and took his bags from her, which just so happened to be the heaviest ones. When she opened her mouth to protest, he silenced her with a stern look and a quick kiss on the forehead. But to keep the peace, he allowed her to carry in a couple the much lighter suitcases.

And so, Hiro moved in. He'd been thankful of his relationship with Kagome, or else he'd never have been allowed this opportunity. 'I'll look after her diligently,' he'd said, and he meant it. After all, Hiro had five years to make up for.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A few weeks later, Kagome was sitting in her living room, resting. She hadn't been feeling well lately and been unable to eat much. As a result, Hiro had taken over the household chores with an iron fist. When she protested, he threatened impart her unwillingness to rest to others who would not take her uncooperativeness lightly. Needless to say, Kagome immediately relented. She did not want to have an unexpected visit by one who would fuss over her more than her own mother used to. That, she just could not handle.

At the moment, Hiro was in the kitchen making lunch for them. A delicious aroma filled the living room, causing Kagome's stomach to growl quietly. The nausea from earlier was gone, thank kami. Perhaps this time, she'd be able to eat more than a few bites.

Shutting her eyes for a moment, Kagome lay her head back against the pillows that Hiro had thoughtfully propped behind her. But a minute later, just as she was dozing off, there came a knock on the front door.

Kagome woke instantly and got up. Hiro was busy and listening to the radio and besides, she did not wish to disturb him. Walking slowly, she reached the door and opened it.

A man stood outside. _A really gorgeous man._ So angelic was he, that Kagome thought her heart had stopped beating for a moment. This breathtakingly beautiful male specimen was incredibly tall and elegantly slim, making Kagome feel so insignificant next to him.

At the top of this well-dressed man was a full head of shining gold hair that was held back in the front with a pair of expensive-looking mirrored sunglasses. Brilliant, feline-shaped emerald green eyes looked her up and down with all the passion of a pristinely dressed aristocrat eyeing a mud-covered peasant.

"Is Hiro around?" he asked abruptly. He asked in a voice that Kagome instinctively knew he possessed. A smooth man like him just _had_ to have a voice to match, which it did. Like butter, it was. But there was something very familiar about him and she could do nothing except stare at him. He was just so dazzlingly beautiful.

The angel on her doorstep gave a little cough and she started, her eyes widening. "Gomen nasai!" she cried, throwing the door open and giving him a respectful bow. He brushed rudely past her and disappeared into the living room. When she straightened, she saw with some dismay that he had neglected to remove his shoes.

"Oi, Hiro! Where are you?"

Kagome rushed into the living room just in time to see a pair of long legs taking the stairs two at a time. "Wait! He's not--"

"Kagome? What's going on?"

Turning, Kagome saw Hiro coming from the direction of the kitchen. He was drying his hands off with a towel.

"I don't know. This man came by to see you and he just went upstairs to find you." A loud pounding came from above and Kagome flinched. Hiro put out his hand and grasped her shoulder reassuringly.

Heavy footsteps pounded their way back downstairs, nearly sending Kagome scuttling behind Hiro. The fair man descended the stairs and stood there for a moment before turning his piercing gaze on them. "There you are," he said with a small smile. "I wondered where my baby brother had gotten to."

"Yuki." Hiro's voice was less than welcoming. "How did you find me?"

Startled, Kagome stared over at the newcomer. Yuki? She hadn't heard that name in a very long time. Yuki was the name of Hiro's older brother who'd run away from home at the age of 16. Although she had never really met Yuki, she'd seen him several times before when she would go over to Hiro's house to play. He was either in his room with the door closed and music blaring or he'd be on his way out to do whatever it was that he did.

Yuki's smile got even bigger and to Kagome, it made him look that much more beautiful. "I have my ways," he replied complacently and reached into his trouser pocket. He brought out a slim, solid gold cigarette case and a matching lighter. "Do you mind? Thanks." Without waiting for a reply, he extracted a cigarette and lit up.

Hiro's body stiffened angrily. "Oi! No one said you could smoke in here, Yuki! Show a little respect."

The elegant creature laughed heartily, letting loose a stream of smoke through his nostrils. "Oh, my poor little brother! It's not rude to smoke in front of a female, you know. She'll get over it." His eyes slid over to where Kagome stood beside Hiro and gave her a look that seemed to dare her to say otherwise.

Seeing his eyes hardened, Kagome stepped back and bowed her head to begin mentally preparing herself for a verbal onslaught that she was sure was coming. She'd learned how when Inuyasha would say cruel things to her. She'd learned...so she would be able to handle anything negative that anybody ever said to her. Although sometimes, it didn't always work. Especially if it was Inuyasha saying it.

"Yuki, you baka, this isn't my house," Hiro said, stepping in front of Kagome, shielding her from his brother's hard gaze. "It's Kagome's. Therefore, you should ask her permission to smoke."

Even though his back was to her, Kagome knew that Hiro was staring his brother down. She'd seen how hard his normally warm, gentle brown eyes could be. They would grow cold whenever she would tell him what hurtful names Inuyasha had deemed fit to call her back when they were younger.

But then again, this was his older brother. She should be respectful to him, as he was the elder person in the house. "Hiro, it's fine. If Yuki-sama wishes to smoke--"

"No, Kagome. This is your home, which you were generous enough to share with me. I won't let Yuki disrespect you just because he's got his tighty whities starched to within an inch of their life." He sent a nasty look his brother's way and added, "And for pity's sake, don't call him Yuki-sama. He's done nothing to deserve that title."

"Um, okay, Hiro, but no, really! It's okay, Hiro! Just let me... get a container to hold the...um...ashes." She smiled impartially at the brothers and rushed off to the kitchen. Locating a small glass bowl, she returned to find Yuki lounging on one of the couches and Hiro standing off to the side, glaring at him. While she was gone, she'd heard Hiro's voice, loud and angry, admonishing Yuki for his rude behavior.

Yuki, on the other hand, was talking in a placating voice in an attempt to soothe his irate brother. When Kagome returned, she set the bowl before Yuki and bowed before moving away. Yuki merely watched her with mild contempt as she went to stand beside his brother. Inhaling deeply he said, "Where'd you find her, Hiro? So subservient, isn't she?" He exhaled and gave Kagome an unpleasant smile. "How would you like to come work for me, girl? You have a so-so body and a decent enough face." He paused for effect, his eyes going to Hiro's pinched face. "I'm in need of a new maid."

Kagome said nothing, but Hiro lunged forward and hauled Yuki up by his collar, defly removing the cigarette from the offensive blonde. "_Get out. Right now._" His face was mottled with anger as he dragged his brother out of the living room and straight to the front door. "You will _never_ disrespect Kagome again, you son of a bitch," he hissed between clenched teeth as he shoved Yuki out of the house.

"What's gotten into you?" Yuki rasped, rubbing his throat.

The dark haired young man grunted. "As if you haven't figure _that_ out by now. I love you, Yuki, but damn it, I won't have you being rude to my best friend."

"Best friend?" Yuki frowned and straightened his clothes. As he did so, he caught a glimpse of that timid female hovering just behind his brother and this time, he got a good look at her. "Well, I'll be damned. You're that little girl that used to come over to the house to play with Hiro, aren't you? Yeah, I remember you." Lighting another cigarette, he shot a charming grin her way. "So...how about tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" Hiro asked suspiciously. His fingers itched to slug Yuki in his smug face. "What about tomorrow?"

Yuki slid his sunglasses down onto his nose. "So she can start working for me as my--"

The front door slammed shut, but not before he caught a good glimpse of Hiro's fury-mottled face. Chuckling, Yuki turned away and walked to his car. Of course he _never_ meant to piss Hiro off, he thought as he got into his expensive sports car and started it up.

As he drove away from Kagome's house, he shook his head. He knew that Hiro had been communicating with a girl for the past few years while he was going to college, but Yuki hadn't known her identity. What he_ did_ know was that Hiro deeply cared for the girl, loved her even, and would worry about her constantly. Whenever he would ask Hiro who he was talking, the boy would always reply, "My best friend". But he never put the best friend and the girl Kagome together. He believed that they were two different people.

"Well," he muttered to himself as he shoved the car into fifth gear, "at least she isn't his girlfriend. I'll be damned if that pitiful creature becomes part of _my_ family."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

oooooooooooo

A/N: Hey guys! I've been getting a lot of reviews mentioning the fact that Yuki is being an asshole. lol That's the point. He's supposed to be an asshole! XD I had hoped I'd made him bad enough for people to really dislike him and I think I've succeeded. Hooray! And yes, Kagome is rather a pathetically weak figure right now. I hope to explain more about that in chapter 3.

Enjoy!

oooooooooooo

Chapter 2

Inuyasha glared at the receiver in his hand. Kagome was not at home, _again_. He was getting really tired of getting her answering machine. As he replaced the phone in its cradle, he wondered, and not for the first time, just who the hell this friend of hers was. Kagome had rarely spoke of this person, but when she did, her eyes seemed to light up and her cheeks glowed a soft pink. Inuyasha strongly suspected that this friend was more than just a friend, but there was no way to prove it. She would say nothing to give away the name of the individual or even their sex. A man, then. It must be a man.

Then again, she rarely talked openly with him anyway. When they were children, they had a normal friendship with her sharing everything with him. But as time went on, she pulled further and further away from him even after they had become step-siblings when his father married her mother.

Gazing absently out of the nearest window in his office, Inuyasha frowned in distress. During his teenage years, he had not been a very pleasant young man...especially to Kagome. He had been rude and hurtful and...

No, he wouldn't bring himself to think of those days. And as for his little Kagome... damn it. Even to this very day she suffered because of what he had done to her, not to mention everything else that happened back then. He had tried many times to make up for his part in it, to help her heal, but to no avail. She just did not trust him.

His desk phone beeped softly. He swiveled around slightly in his chair to grab the receiver. "Yeah."

"Get your ass back to work, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha's frown deepened into a scowl. "Fuck off, Sesshoumaru." Holding the receiver to his ear, he put his free hand up to the window and pressed it against the glass, a rude gesture formed by one solitary finger. "Quit watching me, you perv."

There was a delicate snort of disgust and a click. Inuyasha grinned and hung up. Turning to stare dismally at his paper-covered desk, he gave a grunt. This could all wait until tomorrow, he thought, his spirit lightening considerably.

Jumping up, he quickly gathered his belongings and headed for the door. On the way out, he informed his secretary that he was leaving for the day and that if his pompous brother should inquire about his whereabouts, he had gone home to drink until his eyeballs swam in whiskey. The secretary wrote down everything word for word and then wished him a nice day.

Of course he wouldn't do that, he thought to himself as he walked to his car. He had a mysterious friend of Kagome's to meet.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The next morning, an enraged Inuyasha burst into the dining room where Sesshoumaru and his step-brother Souta were placidly having their breakfast. The storm from the night before had not let up and in fact, a loud clap of thunder sounded off just after Inuyasha dramatically flung the doors wide open. He'd just spent the entire night pacing back and forth in his room, his mind going round and round madly. The moment he'd realized he was looking at Kagome's friend, he very nearly attacked the man.

"Oi!" he cried, noting peevishly that his brother had not even batted an eye when the thunder cracked overhead. Instead, he continued to read his newspaper and brought his cup of coffee up to his lips. Souta, his mouth full of omelette, only looked up from his book with vague interest before returning back to it. Damn, that boy got more and more like Sesshoumaru with every passing year, thought Inuyasha irritably.

"Yes?" Sesshoumaru murmured politely before taking a long, delicate sip of his steaming beverage.

Inuyasha refrained from going over to his older brother and swatting that damned cup out of his hand. "Kagome's best friend is a guy!" he yelled, eyeballs bulging madly. He felt as though his head would explode. Surely, Sesshoumaru would march right over there and demanded that guy Hiro, or whatever, leave immediately. Sesshoumaru was protective of Kagome and would _never_ allow a man to live with her...

"Hm." Lowering the cup, Sesshoumaru swallowed, but his eyes remained on the paper.

That's all he had to say? What the fuck...? "Well? What are you gonna _do_ about it, Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha glared at Kagome's little brother but his dark head was bowed over his book. The little punk was totally ignoring him.

Sesshoumaru reached over and turned a page. "Nothing." He picked up his chopsticks and speared a small clump of scrambled egg.

Inuyasha's voice died in his throat with a strangled croak. His chest heaved as he fought to say something, _anything_ at all to his wretched brother. How could Sesshoumaru do _nothing_ about this?

"Remember your blood pressure, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru chided softly as the egg disappeared into his mouth. Souta stifled a small laugh, his face still buried between the pages of his book.

"Oh...my...Kami," whispered Inuyasha quietly. A sudden realization had just swept over him. "You already _knew_ her friend was a guy."

After taking another slow sip of coffee, Sesshoumaru replied, "Brilliantly done, Watson." His golden eyes kept skimming over his reading material.

"You bastard, Sesshoumaru. When did you find out about all this? Why the _hell_ didn't you tell me?"

Sesshoumaru sighed and set down his paper before turning to look at his little brother. "If you insist. I have known about Hiro for years. When our family went to the Higurashi shrine before our mother died, I would see Hiro and Kagome playing together. As to your second inquiry, I never told you because I did not think it was any of your business." That being said, he turned away and folded his paper neatly before getting to his feet. "It's time to go," he said to Souta.

Obediantly, Souta rose without a word and gathered his books. He shot Inuyasha an apologetic look before exiting the room.

Inuyasha's face contorted with disbelief. "How can you say that? It's _your_ place to tell me everything about Kagome! She's my friend, dammit!"

As he bent over to grab his briefcase off the floor, Sesshoumaru's body stiffened imperceptibly. "My... _place_?" His voice dropped to a dangerously low octave and Inuyasha instinctively took a step back when his brother straightened. He knew that tone of voice and he knew not to mess with his older brother when he became angry.

The taller man's eyes narrowed into glittering golden slits. "Perhaps... if _you_ had been a _better_ friend to Kagome in the past, you would already be aware of Hiro's existance. Then there would be no reason for you to behave like a drama queen."

A vivid flush swept over Inuyasha's entire face. "Don't... go there, Sesshoumaru," he croaked. "Please, don't go there." He felt his body begin to tremble slightly.

"Oh, I think I shall," retorted Sesshoumaru dryly. He set his briefcase down on the table. "Do you know _why_ Kagome prefers to keep her distance with you? Have you even noticed that she doesn't talk to you like she used to? Of course, the last time she chatted openly with you was _many_ years ago--"

"Stop it!" Inuyasha growled and whirled around, but he didn't go far. Sesshoumaru clamped an iron hand down on his shoulder. He was yanked back and forced to face his brother. "Please, Sesshoumaru..."

"She doesn't trust you, Inuyasha. She hasn't trusted you for a very long time. Do you know why that is?" His voice was calm and low.

Inuyasha lashed out at Sesshoumaru, who merely sidestepped and managed to get Inuyasha's arm behind his back. "Stop it! Stop it!" he cried, allowing the tears he had been holding to slide down his cheeks.

Despite Inuyasha's little display of emotion, Sesshoumaru decided to plow on ahead. The boy needed to be reminded. "I suppose that you've never seen Kagome cry, have you? I have. It was always after she spent time with you, when she tried so hard to be your friend. But all you ever did was make fun of her because of her weight. I recall overhearing some of the things you said to her. I also recall being appalled that _my own brother _could be so very cruel to someone who had _never_ deserved such callous treatment."

With a sob, Inuyasha wrenched himself out of Sesshoumaru's grasp and stumbled to the floor, landing heavily on his knees. After a second, he sat back on his heels. "Must you bring this up?" he whispered wretchedly, staring at the floor. Blinking, more tears fell from his eyes and landed on his thighs. With a shaky hand he swiped at his trousers, wanting desperately to make those drops disappear.

"Hiro was the one who consoled her once she could no longer hold back the tears. She kept a brave face on for you, Inuyasha, because she cared about you. What is so sad, is that while you couldn't look past her weight, she could still see a nice young man she was proud to call friend. But you were no friend of hers. Not really, at any rate."

Lifting his head, Inuyasha glared up at his brother over his shoulder. "Why are you reminding me of all this? Do you think I've forgotten what an idiot I was back then?"

"I believe that sometimes you need reminding," replied Sesshoumaru, taking hold of his briefcase once more. "As I said before, if you had been a better friend to Kagome you would know about Hiro." He turned and and began walking away. "And do not ever tell me what my place is again." Without looking back, Sesshoumaru left the room, his long silvery white hair flowing out behind him.

For nearly an hour after Sesshoumaru had gone, Inuyasha sat on the floor of the dining room, barely listening to the rain and the occasional thunderclaps. He was deep in thought, devising a plan to win Kagome's heart. She hadn't gone on that date she promised him a few weeks ago but instead, she'd asked him to take a raincheck. A raincheck indeed!

A mischievious little smile tugged at his lips. This time, she would be unable to renege. He'd also gotten her to sign a paper, promising to go out with him another time that he chose. It had been quite easy, playing on her guilt stricken conscience for having had to back out of a promised date. Inuyasha had hated doing it, but he felt that he would need this ace-in-the-hole to get his way. He refused to give up on her.

With a sigh, he shook himself and got to his feet. He supposed that he _should_ go to work. Sesshoumaru would bitch and moan about his problem with punctuality of course, but that would be all. Someone, somewhere in his massive office would soon catch his sharp eagle eyes and the bastard would be off, ready to hand that poor sucker his or her ass on a platter. But he couldn't very well fire Inuyasha, even if he _was_ late to work _every_ fucking day. It was a condition of his father's will. The only way he could get the boot was if he was caught being involved in any kind of criminal activity. Thank kami for a loving father.

Inuyasha made it to work just as the rain slowed to a gentle drizzle. Normally, he wasn't too fond of wet, gloomy weather, but today it didn't bother him. Kagome loved rainy days and he felt he could get used to them. Going to his office, happy thoughts of spending his rainy days and nights (especially nights) with Kagome filled his head. Even when he attacked the mountain of paperwork on his desk he continued daydreaming about her.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Kagome lay in her bed, rather ill. This time, it was not due to the virus she had just barely gotten over. Hiro had already checked her temperature (which was slightly elevated) but it had taken a few minutes to figure out why his little one was feeling unwell. It was a setback due to the rather unnecessary argument that had occurred the night before between himself and their unexpected visitor.

Just before dinner, a young, silver-haired man knocked on their front door. Hiro opened it himself, thinking that it was Yuki come back to make himself unpleasant to all... but it was not Yuki. The man on the porch was shorter than Yuki and was possessed with a slim, athletic build and lots of wispy, silver-white locks. His face seemed very familiar.

"Yes?" Hiro had asked as politely as he could manage. "May I help you?"

The white haired man glared at him with angry golden eyes. "Who the hell are _you?_" he snarled. "Where's Kagome?"

Now Hiro could place the guy. "Oh, hello Inuyasha. Please, come in." He stepped back to allow Inuyasha to enter. Of course, Inuyasha glared suspiciously at him as he walked past. Hiro sighed. Inuyasha hadn't changed at all.

"Oi, Kagome!" Inuyasha's voice rang out. "There you are. I want to know a couple of things. First off, why have you been avoiding me and second," he said, casting a nasty look back at Hiro,_ "who the fuck is this loser?" _

Hiro, who had been following slowly behind the newcomer, tensed. The last thing he wanted was for Kagome to become upset through Inuyasha's thoughtlessness. His history concerning Kagome was not a good one and Hiro did not trust the guy one iota.

"I...haven't been avoiding you...Inuyasha," she stammered, brown eyes wide with shock. "I've...I've..."

"Well?" Inuyasha's voice was harsh.

Hiro, seeing Kagome's already pale face recoil at Inuyasha's tone, grabbed the rude bastard by the shoulders and swung him around. "Lay off," he growled, just barely restraining the urge to throttle the man. "Kagome has been sick for the past couple of weeks. Now I suggest you leave before she becomes even more upset. My name is Hiro, by the way and yes, I'm the friend she's no doubt told you of. So, why don't you--"

Inuyasha slapped Hiro's hands away. _"You?_ _You're her best friend she's been living with?" _His voice rose shrilly. He whipped around to stare at Kagome, who looked about ready to faint. "Your best friend is a... is a... _a guy!" _

By now, Hiro was no longer paying attention to Inuyasha. His little one had a faint green tint to her face and her eyes sought his, silently asking for help. She was feeling quite ill now.

He shoved the raving lunatic aside and dropped to his knees beside her just as she passed out. Inuyasha's yells had finally ceased and now he was all concern. "What's happened? What's wrong with her?"

Hiro was shaking with rage by now as he gently held the frail little body against his. He was not sure if he could trust himself to speak civilly to Inuyasha, but for _her_ sake, he would certainly try. "Look, like I told you," he began slowly, greatly controlling his emotions, "Kagome has been ill for a couple of weeks. Its just a bug that's been going around and she's mostly over it now, but she is still very weak. The last thing I wanted to have happen was for her to become agitated like this." He glared up at Inuyasha. "You should not have disturbed her the way you did. Now please leave."

"You can't tell me what to fucking do," Inuyasha snapped. But the anger faded as his golden eyes slid down to Kagome's still, white face. "Will she be okay?" he whispered.

Nodding, Hiro shifted her more comfortably in his arms. "Yes, she only fainted. Kagome's appetite hasn't been good since she's been ill, but she manages to keep hydrated." Lifting his hand, he brushed the hair from her face. "I'm going to put her to bed. Now if you'll exuse us," he murmured, rising with Kagome cradled against him.

Inuyasha's gaze kept jumping from his to Kagome's and back again. He seemed to be fighting an inward battle. "Fine, I'll leave. But this isn't over. I'm gonna go to my brother and tell him about what's been going on here. You're gonna be gone within 24 hours, pal. And if I find out that anything sexual's gone on while you've been here, I promise you I'll fuck you up." Without waiting for a reply, Inuyasha took himself off in a huff.

Heaving a sigh and shaking his head, Hiro went to lay Kagome down on the sofa in the living room. After making sure she was covered and comfortably settled, he went to the kitchen to take his pot of soup off the stove and covered it. Then he went back to the living room to wait for Kagome to come to.

Now, he was again watching her sleeping fitfully in her bed this time. Her little face was flushed. Perhaps it had not been wise to tell Inuyasha anything of her illness, but then again, it couldn't have been helped. To anyone with at least one eye, it was easy to see that Kagome did not look well.

Downstairs, a deep voice was speaking softly. Sesshoumaru was using his cell phone to make a few calls, one of which was to Inuyasha. Hiro, unable to help himself, crept out on the landing to overhear the conversation. From the sound of things, Inuyasha was in some pretty deep shit with Sesshoumaru for barging in on Kagome. The older brother didn't exactly threaten Inuyasha; he didn't need to. He was scary enough to not have to use threats against someone.

That was his last call apparently, for Hiro heard his phone snap shut. He made a dash back to Kagome's room to await Sesshoumaru's return, whereupon he asked Hiro to leave him alone with Kagome for a few minutes. Hiro, deciding not to risk arguing with the most powerful business man in Tokyo, left.

He was watching television when Sesshoumaru descended the stairs, straightening his Armani jacket and silk tie before running his long fingers through his hair. Clicking off the tv, Hiro got quickly to his feet and turned to face him. The pale man spoke softly. "She has fallen asleep again. I will send my personal doctor to visit her later this evening. Thank you for taking care of her, Hiro. Kagome is... rather precious to me. I love her very much."

Hiro, startled at the note of tenderness in the normally cool man's voice, stared up at him with some surprise. "Of course, Sesshoumaru-sama. I love her as well and I promise you again that I will watch over her closely."

Sesshoumaru nodded shortly and left, leaving a rather shocked Hiro staring after him. The great Sesshoumaru? Admitting that he _loved_ someone? That was just really too much to take in, but man, that was pretty awesome to witness firsthand!

After checking on his patient one more time, Hiro settled back down in the living room to watch more television. He wondered vaguely just what Sesshoumaru had planned for Inuyasha.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

As it so happened, Inuyasha was unable to ask Kagome out on a date. In fact, he had no time to accomplish that task or much else. Sesshoumaru managed to find a shit load of work for him to do and to keep him busy for the next several days. So pissed off was Inuyasha, that he demanded his secretary lock him into his own office so he couldn't get out and try to assassinate Sesshoumaru. At the end of the day, he was set loose, but by then he had cooled down considerably. Of course he still loathed his jerk-off relative, but by then he was far too exhausted to do anything about it... and far too tired to ask Kagome out on a date.

It really stung, feeling that he had been replaced by some guy who'd deserted her for five years and then trotted on back into her life as though nothing had happened. It just wasn't fair. He loved Kagome, and despite their step-sibling status, he was _in_ love with her.

Driving home after yet another grueling day of wading through that monstrous, never-ending pile of dead tree pulp, he was ready to go home and sleep.

As he drove along, Kagome's face popped into his mind and stayed there. Damn, he loved her so much. He desperately wished to see her, but Sesshoumaru had strictly forbidden it. It had been a whole week since he'd seen her. Inuyasha was _really_ getting tired of not being able to see her and now he discovers that Hiro had been ordered to keep him from entering the house by any means necessary. Damn you, Sesshoumaru!

But no matter. He would see her, with or without Sesshoumaru's approval. Tomorrow was Friday and he would take her out to a nightclub. Surely Sesshoumaru and Kagome's jailor would allow her one night of freedom.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Chapter 3

That Friday evening, Hiro took Kagome to a popular nightclub that just so happened to be owned by Yuki called _Netsu_. Hiro had made sure that he intercepted all of Inuyasha's calls, telling the white-haired pest that Kagome was in no shape to go out with him.

He'd also had to keep away from Yuki, who'd constantly kept showing up at the house, demanding to be let in. Hiro answered the door the first five times, but after that, he pretended not to be at home for every time Yuki entered the house, he always managed to make some snide comment to Kagome. After the fifth and final time, Kagome burst into tears at Yuki's cruel words. With a roar, Hiro had leapt up and punched Yuki in the face, ordering him to never come back. But of course, he did come back. The very next day.

But now as Friday rolled around, Hiro was quite pleased to see that Kagome had improved greatly. So much so, that Sesshoumaru had allowed him to take her out... _after_ getting an okay from the doctor.

They went with Sango and Miroku, who were two of Kagome's closest friends. The couple was greatly relieved to see Kagome finally out and about again. Miroku, who'd known Kagome longer than Sango (and had at one time asked her out but had been turned down) was the most relieved of them all and in fact showed Kagomejust _how _relieved he was by sweeping her into his arms and groping her to within an inch of her life. Hiro spared Sango from having to knock Miroku's teeth down his throat by gripping him hard on the back of the neck until he released the startled girl. Grabbing Kagome's hand, Hiro stormed off into the club while Sango threatened to do very nasty, painful things to Miroku while he slept.

Once inside, Kagome couldn't help but attach herself to Hiro like white on rice. The deafening noise, the crush of humanity... it was all she could do not to break out into a screaming panic and bolt. Hiro, sensing his friend's agitation, wrapped a comforting around her slim shoulders as they made their way through the crowd. Hiro hoped to kami that Yuki wouldn't be here tonight, although he _did_ see the club's manager, Kouga, and his two sidekicks chatting up a group of giggling, half-drunk college girls. He would have to make sure Kouga didn't lay his lecherous sights on Kagome. That guy was nothing but trouble.

They made it up to the VIP rooms where they were immediately ushered in. Ah, the perks of being the owner's little brother, he thought smugly, seeing others trying in vain to get in. The looks on their faces were priceless when they saw the bouncer give a respectful bow to him and throw the doors open.

The VIP rooms were large and spacious, with large, plush furniture in crushed red velvet upholstry. There were booths on the far end, to enable the occupants a clear view of the dance floor. It was a lot quieter in here, allowing Kagome to relax which in turn made Hiro relax. By the time they made it up here, Kagome had been trembling rather badly, causing Hiro to begin seriously worrying about his girl. But in here, they could kick back and talk in normal voices while watching the dancing below in comfort.

Sango was suitably impressed and so was Miroku, who was trying his best to behave after the promise Sango made to him about removing certain important male body parts from his person and throwing them to a pack of wild snow monkeys.

After they grabbed a booth by the large glass window overlooking the lively dance floor, they ordered their drinks and something to eat. Miroku leaned back and slung an arm around Sango's shoulders, while Sango smiled over at Kagome and relaxed back against her boyfriend.

Kagome on the other hand, only looked about her with wide, uncertain eyes. She wanted to run off and leave this place. It was far too loud and had far too many people in it. As it was, she was far too petrified to move an inch. She didn't even think she could leave Hiro's side for a moment.

A large, warm hand began to gently rub her back and she jumped. Before she could turn, she felt his mouth right beside her cheek. "It's okay, little one," he whispered, his breath warm in her ear. As if by magic, she felt the tension leave her and she slumped against him. His arm went around her and she felt completely at ease. For as long as Kagome could remember, Hiro had been able to soothe her when no one else could, even her own mother. But then...Kagome never had the heart to tell her mom that her husband's youngest son was treating her cruelly. Her mom was so happy back then and she didn't dare say anything to ruin her mom's happiness.

Turning her face away from Hiro, she gazed down at the writhing sea of humanity below her. Her friends were chatting and laughing, but she wasn't feeling it. All Kagome wished to do was go home, curl into a ball and sleep beside her beloved Hiro while he watched tv. The most restful sleep she had ever had was when she slept by his side.

The drinks arrived and not long after, their food came. While the others were chowing down, Kagome merely picked at her plate. Her eyes kept straying to the lower level, searching for something but she didn't know what.

"You need to eat, koishii." Hiro's voice was again close to her ear.

She looked at him, then at Miroku and Sango, who were smiling encouragingly at her. "I'll try," she promised and proceeded to do just that. Kagome knew that she had to eat. Hiro had this creepy, yet uncanny ability to know when she had and hadn't eaten...and she knew that even though he was talking animatedly to the couple across the table from them, he was surreptiously watching every bite of food that went into her mouth.

At last she sat back, her tummy full. The moment she moved away from her plate, Hiro's head snapped around. His dark eyes narrowed and studied her half-finished plate before he begrudgingly nodded his approval. She sighed inwardly.

Kagome reached for her margarita and slowly sipped at it. All the while, her eyes once more roamed to the crowded dance floor. A flash of pale hair moving amongst many dark (as well as multi-colored) heads caused her heart to jerk violently in her chest. Was that Inuyasha? Oh no, that couldn't be! Not that she didn't want to see him...of course, she _did_ want to see him and apologize for not talking to him in awhile... but just not _now_. He'd just end up making a scene because she never went out with him.

So she continued to watch and wait with baited breath. The fair hair continued to move through the crowd until it disappeared from view. Kagome gripped her drink a little tighter and instead of continuing to sip, she tipped her head back and downed the rest.

"Kagome?"

Kagome ignored Hiro and raised a hand to catch the waitress's eye. After giving her order of another margarita, she sat back against the seat and closed her eyes.

"Oi." A finger poked her in the side and her eyes flickered open. Hiro was frowning at her. "Are you okay? You tossed that drink back like it was nothing."

Her eyes flitted in Sango's direction. The other girl was staring at her in shock. Miroku, however, only smirked and raised his own glass in a salute to Kagome. The smirk vanished when the back of Sango's hand whacked him in the abdomen. Kagome lowered her head for a moment then she looked guiltily back at Hiro. "I was thirsty," she answered lamely.

"Thirsty? You could have asked for some water or something," Hiro remarked suspiciously. "So why did you order another one? Still thirsty?" The note of sarcasm was not lost on Kagome, but she was saved from having to answer when their smiling waitress brought her drink at last.

Kagome couldn't get it fast enough. She took it with thanks and was just about to chug it when she caught Hiro's eye. He was less than pleased and did not bother to hide it.

With a sigh, Kagome took a sip and set it down, licking the salt from her lips. This earned her a satisfied look from Hiro and he relaxed, turning back to Miroku and Sango. While the three began talking again, she turned again to the window. Her eyes hadn't strayed far when she saw a golden haired god down below... Yuki. He wasn't hard to miss, seeing as how he was at least a head taller than most of the people there. He was nodding to people here and there, but never a smile crossed his perfect lips. It appeared to be that he was searching for someone. His eyes were narrowed against the flashing lights.

Kagome was perfectly content to sit and watch the exquisite creature, who was probably looking for a girl to take home tonight. Naive she might be, but she wasn't stupid. She knew the kind of lifestyle he led, for Hiro had told her. 'Never let yourself be alone with him,' Hiro had warned her after Yuki had barged into her home on that first day. 'He may have the face of an angel, but he's anything _but _an angel. _Never forget that.'_

It wasn't hard to forget, recalling the look of contempt in Yuki's eyes every time he would look her up and down. He wouldn't be going after _her _anytime soon...or like, _ever_. She just wasn't his type, and she supposed she should be glad about that, although she wouldn't have completely minded being someone he'd pursue. Well, why not be honest with herself? After all, she wasn't dead. Yuki was _the_ most beautiful specimen of male flesh she'd ever seen, even more so than Sesshoumaru, which in itself was most amazing. For the longest time, Kagome had considered Sesshoumaru the best looking man ever. But it was unfair to compare the two, she thought, still gazing down at the fair Adonis who was now looking down at his open cell phone.

Where Sesshoumaru was pale, cool and delicate as the forgiving moonlight, Yuki radiated a brilliant, blinding golden and unforgiving heat. Even now, Kagome noted that the women below were openly staring at him, despite the fact they were dancing with other men. Flowers turning their heads in the direction of the sun, Kagome thought wryly. _A sun that could burn and wither everything beneath it if it chose._ Well, once was enough for her. She would do as Hiro wished and stay far away from that dangerously cruel beauty.

Taking another sip of her drink, she turned to look down where Yuki had been standing, wondering if he had already moved on. But no, he was still there. Only now his head was tipped back, those hypnotic eyes staring straight up at her.

Her eyes flew open and hand went to her mouth before she could stop it; her heart was pounding like a jackhammer against her ribcage. She hoped to kami that he couldn't see through the glass, but it was obvious that he could, for a sly, slow grin spread over that perfect face. He snapped his cellphone shut and began moving towards the stairs that led to the rooms above.

Feeling faint and a vague sense of doom, Kagome grabbed her drink and gulped it down. Just as she knew he would, Hiro stared at her in consternation. "What are you doing, Kagome?" he asked, worried. "Are you okay? Because if not, I'll take you home right now."

The double doors opened at the other end of the room and Kagome instantly fell into her usual submissive pose, head bowed, shoulders hunched, hands clasped tightly together in her lap. She could feel Hiro's confusion, but before he could say anything, that dreaded voice filled the air. Not again. She couldn't take his hateful words and cold gaze again.

"Hiro! Good to see you!"

Yuki clapped his brother heartily on the back before turning to face the others. "Hi, my name's Yuki. Hiro's older brother, if he hasn't bragged about me yet." He gave the unfamiliar woman one of his most charming grins. Just as he expected, she reacted as all females did when he chose to grace them with his smile. Her face flushed brightly while she giggled like a schoolgirl and batted her lashes so fast at him that he could almost feel the breeze.

When he turned his mega-watt smile on Kagome, she did nothing. No, that wasn't correct. She raised her eyes cautiously upwards until their gazes met and then...

She flinched. It was almost as if he had raised his hand to strike her. There was no welcoming look that burned in her eyes, and he had a feeling that she was expecting him to say something hurtful. There was no sign at all that she was in any way attracted to him and Yuki realized with some surprise that she was terrified of him. Indeed, her face had turned so pale, he suspected that she had become ill.

He felt his smile fade slowly. This was a very unfamiliar situation. For once in his life, he'd met a woman who did not seem to want him and for some reason he could not comprehend, it bothered him. Was he losing his touch?

Kagome scooted away from Hiro and into the corner, letting her gaze drop down once more. It was a sign of respect and fear, he knew, but it also served to hide her large, luminous eyes from his. Strangely enough, he did not want her to hide those magnificent, chocolate-hued orbs.

But of course, he couldn't let her know that. For the sake of his reputation, he couldn't let _anyone_ know he'd had a moment of weakness. He would be _damned_ if he let some woman break him in. Hell, for all he knew, she was only acting and doing a brilliant job of it. Hadn't he seen her staring down at him earlier? She'd been watching him and then acted so horrified when he caught her doing it.

Whatever little game she was playing, it wouldn't work though. No woman had ever caught him... and never would.

"I hope you enjoyed your visit to Netsu," he said cheerfully. "Come back again. As friends of my little brother, you'll always be welcome in the VIP room." He bestowed another grin on them, but his eyes strayed to Kagome, who hadn't moved an inch.

Hiro noticed his brother's eyes harden when he looked at Kagome and instinctively threw a protective arm around her. When Sango asked what was wrong, Hiro shook his head. "It's fine, Sango, don't worry. She's been a little... unwell lately." He put a hand on Kagome's forehead and frowned. "Damn it! Perhaps it was unwise to bring her out tonight. I think her fever's come back." Without another word, he slid out of the booth and got to his feet before grabbing Kagome and scooping her into his arms. He murmured his apologies and strode quickly from the room, while Kagome's arms clung limply to his neck. Her head lay still against his shoulder.

Sango jumped up and began to crawl over Miroku's lap, but Miroku grabbed her hand and pulled her back down. "Don't worry about Kagome, baby. She's in good hands."

"I know," Sango said in a low voice, still staring at the doors that Hiro and Kagome had just gone through. "I just worry about her so much."

Thinking this would be a good time to glean some information about the girl his brother called his dearest friend, Yuki sat down across from them. "What's the matter with her?" he asked amiably, trying to keep the sarcasm from his voice. There was probably nothing at all the matter with her. But if that was the case, then why was Hiro playing along with her little charade? Just how close _were_ they, anyway?

The young woman shook her head and took a gulp of her drink. Yuki raised a hand to their waitress and pointed to Sango's glass. The waitress nodded and went off to fetch a fresh drink. Sango didn't appear to notice. "Kagome's had a rough time of it the last few years." She stared into her empty glass and frowned. "No, that's incorrect. It's been more than a few years, thanks to Inuyasha..." Her voice trailed off and she shook her head. "Do you know what he had the nerve to do, Miroku?"

Miroku shook his head, but made encouraging noises for his woman to continue.

"That..._jerk_ had the audacity to ask her out a few weeks ago. Can you believe it?" Her new drink arrived and she only looked at it with faint surprise before taking a healthy drink from it. "He tried to trick her into it, too. Said he'd leave her alone for the rest of the week if she'd go out with him the following Friday. What a bastard."

Across the table, Yuki lit a cigarette. "Who's this Inuyasha and why is he a jerk for asking her out?" he asked, exhaling a cloud of smoke. He knew he shouldn't be bothering with this boring subject, but a part of him wanted to know who this Inuyasha guy was and why he wanted to go out with Kagome. She didn't really come across as girlfriend material, but then, there was no accounting for taste. The girl wasn't even hot, for pity's sake.

Sango took another drink and went on. "Inuyasha is really Kagome's stepbrother. His father married her mother. This was a several years ago, just before Kagome was supposed to have begun college. Well, they'd been dating for quite a few years before that, so Kagome and Inuyasha sort of grew up together. During her teenage years, Kagome was overweight and Inuyasha bullied her terrribly. He was always making fun of her--" She looked away and swiped a finger under each of her watery eyes. "Sorry."

Yuki nearly choked on the smoke. He remembered Hiro telling him something like that and having to comfort her because Inuyasha had always reduced Kagome to tears. Nodding silently, he bade Sango to go on.

"But her mother died after a sudden and unexpected illness, leaving Kagome and her younger brother Souta in the hands of her husband. Then another tragedy struck. Inuyasha's father was killed in a plane crash coming back from a business trip. A year later, Kagome went off to college. Thankfully, her stepfather had made a new will, adding in Kagome and her brother, since they were a part of his family. Kagome didn't find out until much later and as a result she'd already taken on the burden of paying her own tuition by putting herself through college. But with going to school full-time, a full-time job, worrying about her brother and dealing with the deaths of her mom and stepdad, as well as being without Hiro, the one person who had always been there for her, it was little wonder she collapsed three years later."

"Mental stress?" asked Yuki, now genuinely curious.

Nodding, Sango took a drink. "Yes. That, and depression, not to mention zero self-esteem. She became... anorexic. When Inuyasha saw her again for the first time in three years, we thought he was going to have a heart attack, didn't we, Miroku?"

The solemn young man at her side nodded. His arm was once again around her shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze.

Sango continued. "I mean, the look on his face was absolutely priceless. It was as if he'd never seen her before. Then he had the nerve to tell her that she needed to eat." She shook her head sadly.

Stubbing out his cigarette and lighting another, Yuki asked, "What did she say to that?"

Her dark eyes met his green ones across the table. "She told him to make up his mind, in a joking sort of way, you understand. Kagome doesn't have a rude bone in her body. Well, he couldn't very well say anything to that, but he had plenty to say the next day when her heart almost gave out on her. Inuyasha's older brother Sesshoumaru called him from the hospital to tell him what happened and he rushed over. I'd never seen him so upset. We found out later that he'd bailed during a date with his then girlfriend, Kikyo. Apparently, they were at an expensive restaurant celebrating their one year anniversary. Inuyasha didn't even apologize for running off on her. He just took off without a word to her."

Yuki inhaled deeply and looked absently down at the cigarette burning between his fingers. So..._that_ was why she acted the way she did. The way she bowed her head, the way she hunched her shoulders. It was almost as if she was preparing herself to be verbally attacked... and the way she looked when she looked up at him. He remembered seeing the expectation in her eyes of something rude falling from his mouth.

A strange pang, painful almost, shot across his chest. Had he wronged her? It seemed so, he thought with a scowl. Damn, he hated to be proven wrong!

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

As soon as they returned home, Hiro put Kagome to bed immediately, silently begging her forgiveness. He never should have taken her out so soon... or at least, to Yuki's nightclub. What the hell had he been thinking, taking her there, knowing that there was a good chance of running into his bastard brother?

As he pulled the covers up to her chin and smoothed them down, his mind turned back to the silent exchange between Yuki and Kagome. He remembered her cowed look and Yuki's expression as he realized that she was scared of him. Hiro had never seen Yuki look so puzzled before.

He sighed and shook his head. Damn, his brother was dense. Yuki must be so used to people kissing his ass that he'd forgotten what it was like to be around people who didn't like him. How terribly vexed he must be.

oooooooooooooooooooooo

Yuki was terribly vexed. He'd paced the length of his living room for awhile before going to stand out on his balcony. From his high-rise penthouse apartment, he had a terrific view of downtown Tokyo. But tonight, he did not enjoy the scene. Thoughts of Kagome and her pitiful little existance kept intruding in his mind. He had even kicked out the girl he'd brought home for a night of fun because he couldn't concentrate the "fun" part. She had been a hottie, too. What a shame.

Now, as he held a glass of gin and tonic in one hand and a cigarette in the other, he watched the city below. Taking a deep drag off his cig, he sighed. Damn, that girl's face just wouldn't leave his mind! All he could see was that fearful look on her face when he stared at her.

Man, that hurt! Never had any woman looked at him like that. He'd even caught the eye of a few lesbians in his day, but he'd never been able to _not_ charm his way into a female's heart.

So, Kagome wanted to play hard to get, eh? Deep down, she must want him, or why else would she stare down at him like that? He had seen her searching the dance floor earlier and decided to find out just who she was looking for. When he had caught her eyes, he had seen the embarassed look on her face and he knew that she had been searching for him.

He snorted into his drink. Of course, it was so obvious. The silly little girl wanted him, it was plain to see.

A stiff breeze blew around him, ruffling his golden locks. He lowered his glass. Well, well, so she wanted to play, did she? Then he'd play too. But the game would end as soon as he got her into bed, which wouldn't take very long. Two weeks at most. He'd be cordial, attentive, but after he used her, he'd lose her. That would teach her to not fuck with him. That would also teach her to treat him with the respect he deserved.

Stupid female...try to trap _him_, would she?. She needed to learn her place... and that was far, far beneath him.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Chapter 4

Kagome's fever finally broke late Saturday afternoon. But by then, Hiro had already called Sesshoumaru, who dropped everything to see how the young woman was faring. The doctor was also called and sagely pronounced that the young lady should remain in bed and have plenty of fluids.

Hiro merely rolled his eyes. 'Well, duh,' he thought, shaking his head. But he dared not say anything aloud concerning the kindly, if somewhat elderly, doctor for fear that Sesshoumaru would take it personally and become angered.

After the good doctor left, Sesshoumaru asked once again to be left alone with Kagome, who was now wide awake and fretful. Hiro bowed and retreated wordlessly from her room, shutting the door behind him. He went downstairs to the kitchen to make a grocery list. As soon as Sesshoumaru left, he would be able to leave. If the business man had his way, Hiro would almost never be able to leave the house.

Sesshoumaru had set Kagome up with a special delivery service so that all she would have to do was go online and choose whatever she needed and it would be delivered right to her home. She'd had it now for quite awhile and she used it often, but sometimes she preferred to go shopping on her own. Kagome had told Hiro that she liked getting out of the house once in awhile, but if she had been feeling ill, she would have to sneak out sometimes, for Sesshoumaru had spies everywhere and would report back to him.

Unfortunately, since Sesshoumaru had set this up for her, he was also made aware of _every _little thing she ordered. Kagome did not seem to mind the intrusion into her life, though. She almost seemed to welcome it. After all the turbulence in her life, having someone in her life that actually gave a damn was a very nice change.

oooooooooooooooooooooo

This time, Sesshoumaru remained in Kagome's room for just over an hour before he emerged and came down the stairs, straightening his clothes and long hair. Again Hiro wondered just what the older man was doing up there with Kagome. Every time he was left alone with her during her illness, he'd come down while fixing his clothes. Very suspicious.

After Sesshoumaru thanked him again for taking care of Kagome and left, Hiro sighed. He was sure that nothing really major went on up there, but he still wondered.

A man like Sesshoumaru would be extremely discreet. After all, he had already admitted to loving her and Hiro knew without a doubt that Sesshoumaru treated her with the utmost kindness. There was nothing he would not do for Kagome, but to go so far as to have an affair with her? Surely not. Sesshoumaru would _not_ take advantage of Kagome during her illnesses or at any other time. If there was one person who would always be completely safe from Sesshoumaru's wrath no matter what, it was Kagome.

All the same, Hiro was dying to know. Asking Kagome to let him in on what went on up there was no good. He'd already asked several times, but each time Kagome said not a word. She had merely shaken her head, blushed furiously and looked away from his steady gaze.

Well, no matter. He would ask her again and again until she told him. If there was one thing he regretted, besides being Yuki's brother, was sharing Yuki's insatiable curiousity. He had actually thought about installing a camera in her room so he would know for certain. Sesshoumaru sure as hell would never say a word and it was highly doubtful that Kagome would betray Sesshoumaru if he did not wish her to speak on the matter.

Hiro locked the front door and went upstairs to Kagome's room. She lay on her side, facing away from him. The covers were pulled up just past her shoulders. She slept, shivering a little.

He went around the bed and after staring at her for a minute, he lay down by her, facing her. One of his arms slid beneath her and with the other, he pulled her close. Instinctively, Kagome snuggled against him and sighed. Her lips parted in her sleep and one word came out in a breathy, almost happy whisper.

"Sesshoumaru."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"This is Higurashi Kagome. I cannot come to the phone right now, but if you leave your name, number and a brief message, I'll--"

Inuyasha snapped his cell phone shut. Damn it all! Why the hell wasn't she answering? He knew she was home, for as he pulled up a short ways from the drive, he had seen Sesshoumaru leave the house. The bastard looked distracted as he walked to his car. What in kami's name had Sesshoumaru been doing? Well, at least he knew that Kagome was at home.

But more importantly, Inuyasha wanted to know why the hell she went out last night and didn't bother to tell him. Spotting her entering _Netsu _last night had been quite a shock. She had been clinging on to that fool Hiro as if he were a lifeline. He'd gotten in as fast as he could and searched every where for her and her brainless sidekick, but to no avail. They had completely disappeared.

Oh, boy, the next time he saw that asshole, _it would be on._ But for now, he would bide his time. Hiro, as diligent a caretaker as he was, would have to leave the house sometime to go to the grocery store for food or to run errands. Kagome would, at some point, be left home alone.

_Like right now._

From where he'd parked his car, Inuyasha could see Hiro exit the house and lock it securely. He slid down a little in his seat as Hiro walked to his car, backed out of the driveway and then drove away down the street. He waited a few minutes before getting out of car, locking it and jogging across the street to Kagome's house. With a satisfied grin, he reached in his front trouser pocket and produced a set of keys that he'd pilfered from Sesshoumaru's home office earlier that day.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

It had been a spur of the moment thing. He hadn't planned on beginning his anti-Kagome campaign until next week, although he knew that if he wanted to put her in her place, he knew he should do it as soon as possible. After last night, he had begun to think about her more and after hearing her sad story... he felt something he hadn't felt in years.

Compassion...

...and he hated her for it.

But as he sat there in his car, watching first a strange silver-white Jaguar back out and drive away, then his brother's car do the same a few minutes later, Yuki's mind turned over to her again. What a damned nuisance she was turning out to be.

As he reached for his door handle, Yuki saw movement off to his left. A tall, white haired guy got out of a sleek silver Ferrari and headed for Kagome's house. The look on his face unsettled Yuki for some reason. The guy looked just a bit too happy and smug for his own good. Yuki had seen that look before. It was a look of a man about to get some.

Yuki waited a moment or two before getting out of his car, locking it of course, and making his way to the house. From behind a handy tree, he watched as the man quietly let himself into the nearly-darkened house.

This did not bode well. The strange man had something planned for Hiro's little friend.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Inuyasha let himself in quietly. He didn't want to frighten Kagome with his sudden appearance. Once he realized that she was not in the living room or the kitchen, his eyes looked around cautiously before ending up at the staircase. With a grin, he bounded up, his heart light. Unerringly, he made his way to her bedroom and once at the door, knocked softly.

There was no response and he opened the door gently. Kagome lay in her bed on her back, sleeping peacefully. He tiptoed in and sat down beside her. The mattress sank a bit beneath his weight and her body shifted, turning towards the dip he created.

Kagome was so beautiful, he thought, lifting a hand to brush her hair away from her pale face. Her jet black hair was spilled out over her pillow, a few stray locks lay against the pale alabaster flesh of her cheeks and throat. A tiny pulse in her neck beat rhythmically just beneath the white skin. For a minute, Inuyasha watched her sleep.

Then, sliding carefully off the bed and kneeling beside her, Inuyasha leaned over and with as much tenderness as he could muster, lightly kissed her pale, perfectly shaped lips. His little sleeping beauty frowned in her sleep, then her eyes fluttered open, revealing those soft brown irises that drove him wild.

"Hey, beautiful," he whispered, bending down to kiss her forehead. "How're you feelin'?

"Inuyasha? What are you doing here? Where's...Hiro?" she asked, looking rather alarmed. She tried to move away from Inuyasha, but the placement of his arm prevented her from moving at all.

He smiled guilelessly down at her. "He's out." Golden eyes carefully, hungrily, studied her face. "I've missed you so much, Kagome. I hope you haven't been intentionally avoiding me." Bending over again, he buried his face against her warm neck and kissed that tiny pulse he'd seen earlier. "I've come to ask you to go out with me. You still owe me a date, you know."

Kagome did not panic, at least, not yet. She lay there, pinned beneath him, uncertain of what to do. But she knew absolutely that she could not back out of going on a date with Inuyasha. She had promised him she would. "Yes, I know I do and I'm sorry for letting you think that I was avoiding you. I...really wasn't. It's just...it's just that I haven't been feeling well lately." She shuddered, feeling his lips again brush lightly against her neck. "No... Inuyasha, please don't. You musn't."

Inuyasha lifted his head and stared hotly into her eyes. "Why not? You know I love you, right? You know I want you." His hand slipped down beneath her blankets and her flimsy nightgown to touch one smooth, silky thigh. "I'm going to take you out next week, okay? And you'd better not back out, or else I'll..." He trailed off as he let his fingers do some exploring. His eyes narrowed and his breathing grew heavy.

Her eyes widened at the unwanted contact and she cried out, her hands grabbing his hand to try to push it away. "No! Inuyasha, please don't!" she cried weakly. "Stop!"

Neither of them saw the elegantly dressed, albeit shadowy figure pause in the doorway. It stiffened as Kagome struggled to push her ardent visitor's hand away. The figure put out a hand and turned on the bedroom light. "I believe the lady told you to stop," the figure murmured quietly around the cigarette just protruding from his mouth.

Both Inuyasha and Kagome jumped at the sound of the deep voice and when the light came on overhead, their blinking eyes jerked towards the open bedroom door.

Lounging against the doorframe was Yuki, looking as cool and smooth as always. His slim, powerful body was clad in a dark brown Armani suit, the suit jacket hanging open. His cream colored silk shirt was open at the collar, a satiny tie of matching color was knotted loosely about his neck. This time his shining locks were slicked back, the color a dark, rich gold. Cigarette smoke wafted around him like a hazy aura.

After getting over her initial shock of seeing Hiro's brother standing in her doorway like some romantic figure in a sexy drama, Kagome's eyes instantly went to his large, well-shaped, _bare_ feet. He had actually removed his shoes? Wow. The man must not be feeling well today. Yuki _never_ removed his shoes.

Her eyes travelled up to his face again and she felt her heart give a jolt. She couldn't help herself. Yuki was obscenely beautiful.

Inuyasha rose to his feet and turned angrily on the newcomer. "Who the fuck are you and how the hell did you get into this house?" he demanded, putting his body between Kagome and the haughty stranger's gaze.

Yuki's lips turned up slightly at the corners. "The name is Yuki and um... you left the front door unlocked when you snuck in." He lifted a hand and sucked on the cigarette that burned slowly between his fingers. His green-eyed gaze fell on the diminutive female who'd managed to scramble away from the over-amorous young man with the long white hair. She sat hunched on the other side of the bed, her back up against the headboard, her slim legs pulled up tight against her chest. "Are you alright, Kagome?" So, _this_ insolent young pup was the infamous Inuyasha. Interesting.

Kagome started at the sound of her name. "Hiro said that you aren't supposed to be here," she said hoarsely. She eyed both men with suspicious and terrified eyes. "Neither of you. Please go."

"Now wait just a minute," said Inuyasha testily, whirling around to face Kagome. "I'm not going anywhere until you agree to go out with me like you promised me you would." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the sheet of paper that held her signature, stating that she would indeed go out with him. "Remember this?" he asked, waving the paper in front of her.

Her face paled even more and she licked her lips nervously. "Yes, Inuyasha, I remember." Her sigh was heavy with defeat. "Alright, a promise is a promise. When do you wish to go out?"

Smugly satisfied, Inuyasha folded the paper and stuck back in his pocket. "Hmm, let's see. Next Wednesday."

"No! I mean, I can't. Not on that day. I have... an appointment." Her eyes shifted away and she bowed her head. "Any day but Wednesday."

Eyeing her suspiciously but not pursuing the matter, Inuyasha snorted. "Fine. Next Friday then, and wear something silky. Okay?"

She nodded and turned her face away. "Yes. Something silky."

"Damn straight." Inuyasha turned to look at Yuki, who was watching the proceedings with silent amusement. "What the fuck are _you_ looking at?" he growled irritably, once more stepping in front of Yuki to shield Kagome.

Yuki smiled disarmingly at Inuyasha before blowing a mouthful of smoke into his face. "I _was_ looking at Kagome, if you must know. I'd rather stare at a female than at another male. Out of the way, son." He put out an elegant hand and lightly swatted at Inuyasha's shoulder, shooing him away.

"Oi!" cried Inuyasha and swung at Yuki. Kagome screamed. Yuki ducked the blow easily and raised his hand, ready to strike back, but something grabbed his wrist and held him fast. He turned to find a very angry Hiro behind him.

"What the fuck are you idiots doing here?" he demanded, grabbing both men by the collars and leading them out of Kagome's room. "How the _hell_ did you both get in? I know I locked the fucking door." Giving them both a good shove toward the stairs, he shut Kagome's door behind him and followed them both downstairs.

"_He_ left the front door unlocked," Yuki pointed out reasonably, reaching for the ashtray Kagome had purchased just for him as it sat on the coffee table in the living room. He stubbed the butt out and lit another. "So I just walked in. I wanted to talk to Kagome."

"Yes, I bet you did," Hiro remarked sarcastically. "Well, you know that you both have been banned from this house, so I suggest you leave at once." He turned a cool eye on Inuyasha, but Hiro was anything but cool. Inuyasha knew about Sesshoumaru's request that Hiro not leave Kagome alone for a minute and Inuyasha had caught Hiro being away from home. Unless Inuyasha forgot about it, this would be a bit tricky. "I have Sesshoumaru's number on speed-dial. Shall I give him a call, Inuyasha?" He hoped this bluff would work. Inuyasha would do anything to avoid a messy encounter with his brother.

Inuyasha glared hatefully at the younger man for a moment, then his face cleared and he smiled triumphantly. "Oh, do whatever you want. I got what I came here for. We can talk about this tomorrow, okay? I'm sure you'll be _more_ than eager to help me out." With a knowing wink at the startled man, Inuyasha turned on his heel and left out of the house.

Hiro stared after Inuyasha with concern. Apparently, Inuyasha _hadn't_ forgotten about Sesshoumaru's request. With a sigh, Hiro turned to Yuki, who had already made himself at home and situated himself on the couch, glass ashtray in one hand and his cigarette in the other. Hiro had been upset with Kagome for purchasing the ashtray. He hadn't wanted to encourage Yuki to stay if he just so happened to drop by, but being the thoughtful soul that she is, Kagome insisted on having it on hand for Yuki.

Crossing his long legs at the knees, Yuki leaned back and stared up at his brother with a small smile. "So, how have you been since last night, little brother?" he asked quietly. He took a drag from his cigarette. "I've missed you. What have you been up to?"

Snatching Yuki's cigarette from his hand, Hiro took a hit. "Avoiding you, what else?" He handed it back, exhaling viciously.

Yuki clicked his tongue and shook his head. "You shouldn't do that, Hiro, or smoke either. Both can be bad for your health, you know."

"Is that a threat, Yuki?" asked Hiro in a low, steady voice.

Rich, silky laughter filled the room. "None of that, now. You know I'd never hurt you, Hiro! But since the subject has been brought up--"

"Yeah, by you!"

The blonde waved a dismissive hand in the air. "---I have a proposition for you," Yuki finished, peering up at his brother through the cigarette smoke. Instead of waiting for Hiro to answer, he went on, "Allow me to take Kagome out on a date and I shall forget that you have not been doing your brotherly duty by me and hiding yourself away. Is it a deal?" Yuki's smile was broad and the look in his eyes was confident.

"I wasn't hiding. I was avoiding you. There _is_ a difference, you know. If you have forgotten already, you reduced Kagome to tears the last time you came for a visit." His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Now wait just a bloody minute here. _You_ want to take _Kagome_ out on a date?"

Yuki nodded, the smile still plastered onto his face.

"Oh no. No way in hell." Hiro shook his head vehemently. "There's no way I'd ever consider allowing you to be alone with her for any amount of time and there's absolutely no way that--" He stopped and frowned, shaking his head. "No, I'm sorry, Yuki. I don't trust you with her. You'll only hurt her. This has got to be some game you're playing...or a bet you made with that fool Kouga and his buddies. Which is it?"

A small frown appeared between Yuki's smooth golden eyebrows. "I'll have you know that that pathetic pup had asked her out moments before your arrival. What have you to say about that?"

"Pathetic--? Oh, you mean Inuyasha. As to that, in comparison to you, that pathetic pup is the lesser of two evils."

The frown deepened. "What do you mean by that? I'm physically perfect, extremely wealthy... What woman wouldn't want me?" The angel looked genuinely distressed.

Hiro looked askance at his brother. "Hmph. I'm sure there are plenty of women who find you unattractive merely based on your planet-sized ego alone. Kagome just so happens to be one of them."

Yuki blinked. Confusion clouded his clear eyes. "But how would she know? She's never given me a chance."

"Which is good because she never will. I'll make sure you won't get anywhere near her if you try to see her alone." Hiro pointed to the front door. "So, goodbye, Yuki. Its time for you to leave now."

"I'm not leaving until I'm well and truly ready to leave. You can't make me." Yuki settled back even more comfortably against the cushions. "We need to talk."

Groaning aloud, Hiro dropped heavily into a nearby chair. "You are the most stubborn, insufferable..." He ran a hand through his already unruly hair. "So go on, talk. What must you talk about that I could possibly give a damn about?"

Stubbing out his cigarette, Yuki smiled sweetly. "Kagome, of course."

Dark brown eyes glowered over at the golden creature. "Haven't you been listening? I said, _NO WAY! _What part of that did you not understand?"

Emerald green eyes hardened beneath fair eyebrows. "I have decided that I wish to pursue the young woman and you, my dear brother, will assist me."

_"Are you insane?"_ Hiro's body stiffened with outrage. He jumped to his feet, dark eyes blazing. _"Haven't you been listening?! I told you no!" _

Yuki's brilliant white teeth appeared. "But _she_ hasn't." While Hiro stood there in front of him, mouth working angrily but no sound emanating from his mouth. "Hiro, Hiro, come now. Be reasonable. Even if you try to turn her against me--"

"You don't need my help to do that!"

"--I will win in the end, you know. I always do and you know this, so I suggest that you don't fight me. It'll be easier on everyone involved if you just let me have my way, Hiro." Setting down the ashtray and getting to his feet, Yuki eyed Hiro steadily, his smile fading. "No one gets in my way, Hiroshi. No one. Do you understand? You are my brother and I love you, but you shall not keep me from getting what I want."

Hiro took a step forward, so he was right in his brother's face. Yuki was a little bit taller than him, but he stood up to him nonetheless. "And I will do everything in my power to keep her from your clutches, Yuki. I know how you treat the women you're with. How many have hearts have you crushed with your juggernaut mentality? How many of them became depressed and ended up on medication? For kami's sake, threeof them _overdosed on their medications_ _because of you! _You are a menace to women everywhere, Yuki!"

"Oh, come on! You don't seriously _blame_ me for their lack of self-control, do you? That was nothing to do with me."

"It was everything to do with you! You played with them, used them until you got tired of them and then sent them packing, all the while ripping their hearts to shreds." Hiro lowered his voice dangerously. "I won't have you doing the same to Kagome."

Yuki reached out and touched his livid brother's face tenderly. "You can't stop me, Hiro. She's what I want and she is what I'll get."

"No."

"You know I'll have her in the end."

"No!"

"Hiro?"

Both men whirled around. Kagome was standing at the foot of the stairs, wrapped in a chocolate brown vellux blanket. Her eyes were wide and dark in her pale face and her bottom lip trembled. "Are you fighting... because of me?"

Hiro was beside her in an instant. "Kagome? Sweetheart, what are you doing out of bed?"

She turned her white face up to his. "You musn't fight with your brother, Hiro. Not over me. Not...worth it..." she whispered, tears falling. Kagome bowed her head to hide her face.

Without a word, Hiro wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "Baby girl, you _are_ worth it. You are. Now no more of this talk, okay?" He held her for a moment longer before turning to speak to Yuki.

But he was gone.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Yuki sped home in a furious state. Furious but also terribly confused. He did not like the way this was going. She had to pay, yes, but this was not going the way he planned. Of course he knew that Hiro would put up a fight, but damn. He'd underestimated the boy's devotion to Kagome, which had been unwise. There would be clash of wills, there was no doubt.

But that face! That small, homely little face! For some reason, Yuki did not like seeing tears flowing down those thin, pale cheeks. Kami, she was so tiny, so frail. Somehow, it was difficult to want to take revenge on her, seeing how fragile she was.

What was worse, was when he saw that idiot Inuyasha taking advantage of her. Just to get a date! How pathetic was that? And of course, when he saw Inuyasha feeling her up, that completely sickened Yuki. Not even _he_ would stoop so low.

By the time he'd reached his penthouse, his resolve to crush her insignificant little life had waned considerably. The more he thought about Inuyasha putting his dirty, perverted hands on her, the more it upset him. Whatever the girl was, she was not a whore. He'd bet the _Netsu_ she'd never even been with a man.

As he poured himself a generous helping of his expensive, imported whiskey, the thought of pursuing her intensified. The short female was a virgin and in this day and age, virgins were incredibly hard to find. He wasn't about to let one slip through his fingers without getting a taste first.

Yuki knew he couldn't let the pup have her.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Chapter 5

When Friday finally rolled around, Inuyasha was more than ready for his long-awaited date with Kagome. Of course he'd blackmailed Hiro to get him to agree to let her go for one night, which was just fine with Inuyasha. One night was all he would need to convince her to continue dating him. He hoped.

Hiro himself had taken Kagome shopping for an evening dress. _Something silky_ had been Inuyasha's main requirement, so of course, _something silky_ had to be found. Eventually, they found a lovely calf-length, shell pink silk dress with crystal beading sprinkled lighly on the bust. Her shoes were lovely silvery creations; open-toed stilettos with delicate crystal beading on the straps.

Inuyasha was waiting impatiently downstairs when she finally descended the staircase. She'd refused to have her hair done, opting instead to curl it herself and slipping star-shaped diamond barettes into her shining raven tresses, leaving her hair to fall freely down her back. Her impatient date stopped pacing and his jaw dropped to the floor.

"K-kagome," he breathed, moving forward to take her hand. She blushed furiously and bowed her head to hide her face, but he would not have it. Hooking a finger under her chin, he tilted her face up so he could see her. "Wow. You look...amazing."

"Um, thank you, Inuyasha," she murmured softly, still unable to look him in the eye. Instead, she looked pleadingly over at Hiro.

Thankfully, he did not seem to mind and led her away to the front door, where Hiro was watching them. He reached out and touched Kagome's face. "Call me immediately if he makes you uncomfortable, okay?"

She nodded and they were gone.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Yuki drove as fast as he could to Kagome's house. He had planned on intercepting Inuyasha at her house and ruining their evening, but thanks to one of his fuck-up underlings, he was running late. Damn emergency meetings.

His car squealed into the driveway and he jumped out. Upon hearing that Kagome had already left for her date with Inuyasha, Yuki sped off in a hurry, despite Hiro's cries for him to leave them alone. Like hell he would!

Luckily, it did not take him long to find Inuyasha's car. He made a call to an associate of his who could hack into any computer system. Giving him the car's make, model and license plate number, (recalled from last Saturday afternoon) the 'friend' was able to locate the car via GPS. Yuki thanked him for his help and drove straight to the restaurant, feeling pretty damn omnipotent.

Kagome was already sitting down with Inuyasha and doing her best to keep her eyes from staring at her glass of water while they waited for their food. Inuyasha was talking animatedly and grinning at her, his eyes never leaving her face.

Charming his way past the hostess, Yuki made a beeline for their table. "Evening," he said, grabbing a chair from an empty nearby table and took a seat beside Kagome. He flashed her one of his best smiles, much to the chagrin of the silver-haired freak sitting across the table from her.

"Oi! What the _hell _are you doing? Why are you here?" hissed Inuyasha, whose face had gone red with fury.

Yuki shot the younger man a look of disdain before turning back to Kagome. She looked about ready bolt, so he leaned over and draped an arm over the back of her chair. "How are you doing, Kagome? You look incredible tonight." He smiled disarmingly at her.

Kagome recovered just enough to blink and shake her head. "N-no, Yuki-sama. You are just saying that. Thank you, just the same."

His eyes roved over her appreciatively. The dress she was wearing looked wonderfully expensive. He hadn't known she was wealthy enough to afford clothing like that. She didn't strike him as a rich woman. All the same, it looked good on her, despite her pallor and thin frame.

"Hey!" Inuyasha cried angrily, his fist slamming on the table. "Stop staring at her like that!"

"Pfft. I can do what I like. It's not a crime to stare at a woman, you know," retorted Yuki coldly, before allowing his eyes to do just that.

"It is if you're staring at _my woman_," Inuyasha shot back.

A smirk crossed Yuki's face. "But she's not _your_ woman, now is she?"

The situation escalated from that point. It did not take long for the management and a few of the waiters to physically throw Yuki and Inuyasha out of the restaurant. Kagome apologized profusely for the vulgarities thrown back and forth over the table. They were not upset at her, who had been near tears during the entire shouting match and indeed, had told her that her next meal was free, providing that she not bring either of her two current companions along with her.

Once outside, the screaming began again. "Do you know who I am?" Yuki ground out between gnashed teeth.

"Do I look like I care?" Inuyasha shot back, also through clenched teeth.

The disagreeing pair got into each other's face again, leaving her to watch on in horror as the two hurled insults while only being no more than a few inches apart. She winced when Inuyasha shoved Yuki, but Yuki didn't take that lying down. He shoved Inuyasha back and the two lunged at each other, fists flying.

Kagome stifled a shriek and backed away. Why on earth were they fighting? She felt that it nothing to do with her because is she were one of them, she would never fight over her. She just wasn't worth it!

A crowd had gathered in front of the restaurant to watch the debacle and Kagome was pushed rudely aside so people could see. She was pushed so far away, that she found herself on the curb. What was worse, there were no cabs in sight. With a sigh, she turned and began to walk away. Perhaps a cab might come along soon, she hoped rather forlornly, although with her luck, one never would.

After another few steps, she heard the rumbling noise that sounded like a motorcycle. With a frown, she threw a look over her shoulder. She had been right. It _was_ a motorcycle, but there was not just one. There were three; one in the front and two bringing up the rear. Kagome turned around and kept walking, expecting that the three bikers would pass on by. Oddly enough, they didn't. They stayed right beside her.

She tried to ignore them and would have succeeded... until one of them called out her name.

"Yo, Kagome! Need a lift?"

Nearly jumping out of her skin, Kagome whirled around to see three of Yuki's friends idling alongside her. The one in front was none other than Kouga and the other two were his friends, Hakkaku and Ginta. Kouga maneuvered his bike alongside the curb and flashed her one of those handsome, wolfish grins she'd seen before. His friends continued to idle beside him and grinned over at her too. "Hey, Kagome," they called out in unison, each raising a gloved hand to her.

"H-hello. How are you doing?" she asked timidly and executed a neat little bow. As she did so, she took in Kouga's appearance. He looked every inch a biker in his black leather jacket, form-fitting black jeans, skin tight black t-shirt and black boots. 'He must really like black,' she thought vaguely.

Kouga threw his head back and let go a hearty laugh. "We're doing fine, but then we found you. Now we're doing even better aren't we, boys?" He shot a look over at his companions, who nodded, still smiling.

Kagome felt her face burn like crazy at their candid stares. She couldn't help but drop her gaze to the pavement and bow her head. All the attention was making her extremely nervous and she felt the sudden urge to retreat into a hole somewhere.

A large pair of booted feet appeared before her in her line of sight. She jerked back so hard, she began to topple over. But a hand shot out in time to keep her from falling and yanked her forward so that she found herself staring straight at the base of a smooth, tanned and very male neck. Now thoroughly mortified, Kagome dared to look up.

Instead of seeing the anticipated look of contempt, she stared up into the gentlest pair of blue eyes she'd ever seen. Kouga's delicious cologne drifted around her and she caught a whiff of the leather of his jacket. The combination was very enticing and for a moment, she wondered if those eyes truly belonged to the Kouga she'd heard about from Hiro. The Kouga Hiro had told her about was ruthless in his pursuit of women, but none of which lasted very long with him before he was off looking for another conquest. Basically, he was just another Yuki. Could this _really_ be the same Kouga she'd heard about? If so, then Hiro had been completely off base.

Kouga's ruggedly handsome face was etched with worry. "Are you alright? You don't look so good, Kagome. Hey, my offer still stands. How about that lift? Don't think you're in any shape to walk home, especially in those heels."

Before she could say anything, he took her hand and pulled her towards his bike. He straddled it and Kagome's eyes nearly popped out of her head. The way he sat there on his motorcycle, with his black hair falling into his eyes, the powerful yet sensual curves of his body as straddled the bike, the way he smiled at her, and those hypnotic blue eyes that seemed to glow with some inner light...everything about him made her go all mushy inside. Kami have mercy!

She'd always thought Kouga was a very attractive man and now that she was up close and personal, she finally saw what every woman he flirted with must see as well: a devastatingly handsome man that simply _oozed_ sex appeal from the top of his dark head to the soles of his large booted feet.

When he held his hand out to her, Kagome did something she never thought she would have the guts to do. She hiked up the hem of her dress to the middle of her thighs, straddled the bike seat behind him and wrapped her arms securely around his well-toned middle. A low whistle came from one of his buddies and she turned to see. The one with the mohawk winked brazenly at her then asked, "Need a helmet, Kagome?" He held up a shiny black helmet to her.

"Kagome?" Kouga turned slightly to look at her over one of his muscled shoulders.

But Kagome knew she probably wouldn't have a chance like this again. "No, thank you. I trust you, Kouga-kun." Just once would she live a little and enjoy having her hair whipped about in the wind, for she'd never been on a motorcycle before.

A deep laugh rippled through his body and she felt a large, warm hand pat hers. "Thanks for your confidence in me, Kagome. You ready?" he asked, but didn't wait for an answer. He started the engine and they roared away from the curb.

The feeling of riding on a motorcycle was one of sheer exhilaration. It was nothing like anything she had ever experienced before. The rush of the wind going past her, the powerful thrum of the engine...not to mention the way her body felt, being pressed up against incredibly close to Kouga's muscular one. But for heaven's sake, she wasn't a dead woman and he was a hot guy. _A very hot guy_ that smelt awesome. Without bothering to stop herself, she laid her cheek against his broad back and watched as they sped past buildings and cars. He was actually a rather cuddly sort of guy, like a big, black-haired, blue-eyed teddy bear...with a really hot body. She inhaled his heavenly scent again and sighed contentedly.

One of his friends, the one with the single white stripe of hair in front, waved at her and grinned. He sped up a little and made a face at her like he was saying, "Aww, how cute!". Kagome chuckled. She supposed it must look silly to him, a girl leaning up against such a tough-looking guy like Kouga and hugging him from behind. But for the moment at least, she didn't care. He'd been a gentleman to stop and help her out. There hadn't been a finger in any improper places or any vulgar suggestions from him or his friends. She decided that a wink didn't constitute as a vulgar suggestion, so she let it slide and just enjoyed the ride.

Up front, Kouga was about to lose his mind. Sitting astride his bike was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Hell, he'd nearly groaned out loud when he felt her breasts press up against his back. It was all he could do not to pull over suddenly, drag her from his bike and give her an entirely different ride all together on the side of the road in full view of anyone who cared to look.

But he didn't dare touch the girl. _That_ was what was so damned frustrating. He knew that Yuki was after her and that it would be a nasty end to a very lucrative friendship if he made a move on her. Because Yuki, for all his suaveness and sophistication, was _not_ a very good loser. In fact, he was the sorest loser _ever_. When he lost, he made damn sure that everyone else around him paid the price. Of course, Yuki wasn't even in love with her and Kouga fervently hoped that that had to count for something.

He looked over at Ginta, who was making an "aww, how cute" face at Kagome. Kouga could feel her laugh softly against his back and he moaned. After scowling at Ginta, he looked straight ahead and sped up, leaving that fool behind. Did Ginta _want_ to get him into trouble? Because he was _seriously_ fighting a losing battle to not do something Yuki would regret. As for himself, Kouga knew he'd _never_ regret having Kagome.

Ever since he'd first laid eyes on her, Kouga knew he'd be hard-pressed to not go after her himself. He should have anyway, since Yuki hadn't desired her for himself until just recently when he found out that that fool Inuyasha was after her too. And of course, there was Hiro, who refused to let Yuki have anything to do with Kagome and actually had refused Yuki entrance into Kagome's house. He recalled the Golden One's rage after he had been turned away by his own brother. That had not been a pretty sight.

They sped over a bridge. Lights from the tall buildings beyond reflected off of the river beneath them. He wished that both Yuki and Inuyasha would go jump in the river with cement boots on. Neither of them deserved Kagome. She was far too gentle a creature and too much of a lady for either bastard. Hell, he'd give them both a good shove! It wouldn't be the first time he'd ended a life.

Behind him, Kagome raised her head. She loved crossing this bridge, especially at night. The water looked exceptionally beautiful under the blanket of darkness, but she'd never seen it this way, on the back of a motorbike. Her eyes began to water from staring too long at the scene and she blinked a couple of times before laying her head once more against Kouga's back.

Her mind drifted off and she thought of Inuyasha and Yuki. She wondered if she shouldn't have left without a word to them about leaving with Kouga. No, it wouldn't have mattered, she thought sadly. They had been too upset with each other, and most likely wouldn't have cared much if she'd been shoved out into the street and run over by a large vehicle.

She shivered and clung more closely to the very warm body in front of her. She couldn't wait to get home and into some warm clothes.

Kouga felt the girl shiver and cursed himself. Of course she'd be cold! She was clad only in a lightweight silk dress. He motioned to Hakkaku, who'd just overtaken Ginta and shouted at him to take hold of one of his handles. Hakkaku nodded and grabbed it. Kouga moved Kagome's arms down lower on his body so he could remove his jacket. He did so quickly, sliding it down off his shoulders and arms before pressing it into her abdomen. He took hold of the handlebars and shouted over his shoulder, "Put it on!"

Gratefully, yet careful not to let it blow away, Kagome slipped the jacket onto her slim frame and practically melted into the blessed heat that still clung within. Her arms went back around his torso as she felt him take control of his bike again. She made a mental note to thank him for his kindness when she got home.

There was a huge grin on Kouga's face as she snuggled against him again. He liked her riding with him. Normally when he rode, he was with his boys and no females accompanied them. _Ever._ Until tonight, no female had been given the honor of riding with him, but when he saw the fight break out and Kagome being pushed to the curb, it upset him. He didn't like watching her let people push her to the side like that. He hated even more that look of dejection when she turned and began to walk away.

That was when he knew that he would break the rule of no females on his motorcycle. Turning to the brothers, he informed them on what he planned to do. They had looked faintly surprised but said nothing. Instead, they encouraged him to go for it with a wave of their hands. Kagome was a really nice chick, worthy of a ride on his bike. No female he'd ever met could say that.

On a whim, Kouga decided to take Kagome out to eat. He knew that she hadn't gotten a chance to eat since Yuki gate-crashed her date with Inuyasha. Poor thing must be starving by now. When they finally crossed the bridge, Kouga headed off to a little cafe that had great omelettes. His boys must be starving too, since they were always hungry.

When they pulled up to it and came to a stop, he turned to look at his passenger. "Oi, are you hungry?"

Pulling back from him, Kagome blinked up at him. Normally, she would lie when somebody, usually Inuyasha, would ask her that. She didn't want to bother anyone with her personal problems. But with Kouga, she felt that all he wanted was to make sure she was okay. He seemed to be alot like Sesshoumaru-sama in that regard. Those bright blue eyes could burn right through her, she knew. And she also knew she wouldn't be able to lie to him. "Yes, I am a bit. Why do you ask?" she asked shyly.

He got off his bike and helped her off. "Because I wanna know. You didn't get a chance to eat back there. I figured you must be hungry." Reaching out, he brushed her hair back from her face in an attempt to straighten it. "There. You looked like you just had a wild ride," he said with a laugh.

Kagome blushed and followed him and his friends into the little restaurant. When they were seated, she remembered that she was still wearing Kouga's jacket and began removing it. But he stopped her by reaching over the table and pulling it back over her shoulders. He told her to keep it until he took her back home. The look he gave her made Kagome blush even more. The blasted man was such a flirt!

Their food arrived and Kagome couldn't help but watch her companions as they scarfed their food down. She'd never seen such ravenous people before. Hiro would always refer to Kouga and his companions as Yuki's "pack of wolves" and Kagome thought that that was kind of rude. But seeing them up close and personal, she realized that Hiro's description was right on the money. These three were constantly together and sometimes she even wondered if they slept in the same bed or even showered together.

That last thought gave her pause and she could feel her face growing warm with embarassment. But of course not! What a stupid suggestion. Three tough looking guys like them? Never! Especially when she'd already seen them going out with women, even for a short while before finding more. There was nothing to suggest that they were..._gay_...for kami's sake. The idea was ludicrous. Maybe there were just really close-knit. Like a family. 'Don't be stupid, Kagome,' she reproached herself.

She cast sideways glances at Ginta and Hakkaku, who sat across the table from each other. They closely resembled each other. It was almost like seeing a mirror image, except for their hairstyles. Were they brothers? Possibly. Well, they were related, anyone could see that. They had the same brown hair; Hakkaku had an impressive mohawk, while Ginta wore his long and held back in a low ponytail. There was a white stripe in the front. Other than that, they shared the same eyes, the same mouth. Handsome men, both of them.

Her eyes shifted to Kouga, who sat across the table from her. His appearance was by far the most startling with his shining obsidian-tinted hair and straightforward, azure gaze. He was devilishly handsome, no doubt about that, but his looks couldn't match Yuki's own heavenly features. Even so, it seemed odd how that their facades didn't match their personalities.

Kagome pushed the delicious bits of egg around on her plate but didn't really feel like eating. She _had_ eaten a few bites, but they were small ones and her mind, knowing that Hiro was nowhere near her, allowed her to not eat if she chose. So she took advantage of the freedom while she let thoughts of Yuki run around in her head.

If only he wasn't such a mean, nasty person to everyone, she wouldn't mind him dropping by the house to visit Hiro. But every time he came over, he would upset his brother by saying something mean to her. That confused her, when Yuki did that. If he claimed to loved his brother so much, why say such things to hurt him? Of course, Kagome was used to it by now, so it didn't bother her that much. But she didn't like it when Yuki was hurtful to Hiro by doing and saying evil things on purpose.

Looking up at Kouga again, Kagome found his penetrating sapphire orbs boring into hers. She jumped and mentally admonished herself for doing so.

Those amazing eyes flickered and he lowered his chopsticks. "You okay?" he asked gruffly. "You've hardly touched your food."

Kagome was suddenly aware of two other pairs of eyes on her as well. She turned to see Ginta and Hakkaku staring openly at her, their chopsticks hovering in mid-air between their plates and mouths. Both of them looked worried.

Glancing back at Kouga, she saw the same look of concern on his face and instantly felt terrible. She didn't want to upset them and it appeared that she had effortlessly done so. Dropping her hands into her lap, she bowed her head. Her hair fell down to curtain her face and she was grateful that it would serve to cover her foolish emotions. "It's...it's nothing. Gomen nasai. P-please, continue eating. Don't mind me."

There was a heavy silence and suddenly Kagome felt a gentle finger hook beneath her chin and tilt her head up. The first thing she saw were those eyes and the look in them made her want to cry. The only other times she saw such raw, gentle emotion was whenever Hiro would look at her when she was hurting, like he wanted to take all her pain for her. And Sesshoumaru, when he...

It was the same now with Kouga and it touched her deeply.

Kouga's thumb caressed her cheek. He frowned and shook his head. "Damn, what on earth did Inuyasha do to you?" he asked quietly, almost to himself. Without waiting for answer he went on, "We know how Yuki's been treating you, Kagome and we know some of what Inuyasha's done. But I want you to know that none of us like either of them very much at the moment." His eyes darted to the right, indicating his two friends, although Kagome already knew of whom he'd spoken of when he'd said "us" and "we".

Out of the corner of her eye, Kagome saw Ginta and Hakkaku nod in agreement.

"We're with you now, Kagome-neesan," said Ginta, gravely.

"And that means you're with us," Hakkaku added, with equal solemnity.

"Wanna bike?" blurted Kouga out of the blue.

"Eh?" Kagome stared at him incredulously, but the twinkle in his eyes and the way those eyes crinkled made her suddenly feel at ease. She gave him a tentative smile and was rewarded with a blinding, relief-filled smile in return. "A bike? But... I'm afraid I don't know how to ride one," she murmured when he removed his hand. Strangely enough, she'd found that her appetite had returned somewhat and began to eat again.

"We can teach you to ride," Kouga said, pushing a stray lock of black hair out of his eyes. "Besides, its not like we can't afford to get you one. We have the money, believe me."

"Oh, but it's okay! I don't want one! Please don't trouble yourselves! I... thank you, anyway." Shyly, she ducked her head and kept eating.

"No, we insist, Kagome. Unless of course you want to ride with one of us at all times," he said, giving her one of those sexy smiles when she glanced back up at him.

Hakkaku snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "That's not fair, Kouga. We already know you'll hog Kagome all to yourself and never let her ride with either me or Ginta."

Kouga airily waved a dismissive hand. "That's ridiculous, Hakkaku. I wouldn't--" he began haughtily.

"Yes, you would," the other two muttered in unison.

Kagome couldn't help it. She laughed out loud. "I knew you three were inseparable, but I didn't know you were so funny as well."

The three of them, funny? thought Kouga with some surprise. He didn't think they were _that_ amusing, but if their antics were enough to make her laugh, he'd be willing to keep doing them solely for her enjoyment. He'd never seen her laugh but he knew he really loved the musical tinkling that bubbled up from her throat. It was a beautiful sound that needed to be heard over and over agin. Poor girl didn't laugh nearly enough for his liking. At least he knew that they could make her laugh. It had just been proven.

He grinned at her as she turned to look at Hakkaku. Mohawk boy was looking rather shy, which was completely out of character for him. He was usually really bold with women and had a tendancy to be pretty vulgar. This was the first time Kouga had ever seen Hakkaku's face glow a bright pink. Hakkaku had never blushed before in his life.

Kagome complimented his hair and asked how he got his hair to stand up like that. His face darkened to red before he managed to murmur a soft, _polite_ "thank you" and tried to explain without stammering like an idiot. He was unsuccessful.

Sitting back, Kouga grabbed his glass of water and took a drink. Oh yeah, having Kagome around would force them to shape up and quit acting like fools and rude sons-of-bitches. Perhaps she could be sort of like a mother to them.

Kouga didn't know what a mother was like, seeing as he'd never had one of his own. He'd been an orphan since his parents died in a car accident when he was only a few months old. Later, when he was ten years old, he met two boys who were newly placed in the orphanage where he lived. Ginta was the same age as him; Hakkaku was a year younger. They'd lost both of their parents in a car accident as well and just as it had been with Kouga, they hadn't had other family members to take them in.

Hakkaku was just a terrified little kid, but his older brother tried very hard to be brave. That first night, all attempts at bravado failed. The boys cried together in the darkness of the room that they shared Kouga and five other boys.

Listening to their quiet sobs in the dark, he lay on his bed, wondering if he should go over to them. Kouga had really hated to hear them cry. He was jealous because at least they had known their parents when he'd never even gotten the chance. But despite how he felt, he went over and comforted them as best he could. That night, the boys bonded together and became fast friends. Kouga, who was the old hand at being parentless, took it upon himself to protect them as best he could and it didn't take long for the three to become inseparable. Nearly two decades later, they were still inseparable.

"I think its pretty much unanimous, don't you think, guys?" He set his glass down with a decisive thump. "We teach Kagome to ride."

Ginta and Hakkaku nodded and grinned, their eyes lighting up. "We teach Kagome to ride," they repeated eagerly.

Kagome couldn't keep the smile, or the tears, back.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

An hour later, the four riders rumbled up the short driveway in front of Kagome's home. Engines shut off and Hiro came barrelling out of the front door, eyes and face frantic with worry. "Kagome!" he cried and started towards her, but stopped short when Kouga dismounted to help Kagome off his bike. "Kouga! What the hell are you doing with Kagome?" His eyes went to Kagome, who was straightening her dress. He felt his insides freeze. "Oh my kami, you didn't. Please tell me you didn't. Kagome? Did you?"

Kagome looked up at her friend and smiled brightly at him. "Didn't do what, Hiro? Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku saved me from walking home tonight. Wasn't that kind of them?" She looked back at her new friends and shot warm smiles at each of them.

Hiro scowled. "Walking...home? But...you went out with Inuyasha." His body tensed and his hands curled into tight fists. "Don't tell me that the bastard ditched you!"

"No, Hiro! He didn't ditch me!" Kagome ran to him and threw her arms around his waist. "It wasn't like that at all!" She hid her face against his chest and trembled. How could she tell him about the fight between his brother and Inuyasha? She didn't want him to get upset at Yuki for what really was _her_ doing. After all, it really was her fault that they got into a fight.

Furious, dark eyes looked over at Kouga, who was sitting on his bike, arms and legs crossed and regarding Kagome with a lazy look that he found insulting. "You! What the hell happened? What did Inuyasha do to her?"

Impertinent blue eyes slid upwards to Hiro's face. "Wasn't _just_ Inuyasha. Why don't you ask your _saintly_ brother about _his_ part in it." Kouga untwined his lengthy limbs and threw a leg over the other side so that he was straddling his bike. To Kagome he said, "Call you tomorrow, okay? I'll let you know about the lessons."

She turned to look at him and smiled. "Okay, Kouga-kun!" she giggled and waved.

The three guys waved back at her before starting their noisy motorcycle engines and drove off. Kagome kept waving at them until they disappeared. She sighed and turned to Hiro, who stood like a statue and seemed to unable to decide what to say to her. "Are you okay, Hiro?" she asked. "Oh!"

Hiro snapped out of his immobility and cried, "What? What is it?"

Kagome was looking down. "Kouga-kun's jacket. I forgot to return it to him." She shrugged and gazed up at Hiro. "Oh, well. I'll have the chance to return it to him tomorrow." Grabbing him by the hand, she tugged him into the house.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

When Yuki and Inuyasha were pulled apart, it was by a few police officers and helpful bystanders. As Yuki felt himself being dragged several feet away from his oponent, he heard said opponent shouting in a panicked fashion and he scoffed at the wussy idiot. What the hell was _he_ crying about?

As the red fog finally cleared from his head, Yuki distinctly heard the words that Inuyasha was screaming and his heart dropped to his feet. _Kagome. _Inuyasha was screaming for Kagome.

Looking around frantically, Yuki tried but couldn't find Kagome anywhere. She had simply vanished into thin air. Frustration took over and he turned on Inuyasha. "Where the _hell_ is she, you bastard!" he roared.

Golden eyes narrowed into slits. "How the _fuck_ should I know, asshole!" Inuyasha roared back. "If you hadn't noticed, I've been a little busy kicking your ass!"

Yuki lunged at Inuyasha again, but the cops intervened him and held him back. That only served to piss him off even more, especially when he saw Inuyasha smirk at him. But he forced himself to calm down and to talk civilly with the officers. Fortunately, they knew of him and decided not to do anything to him or the other gentleman with the strangely colored hair. Yuki figured that since Inuyasha was equally upset with Kagome's disappearance, he'd be willing to help locate her. Of course, after she was found, Inuyasha would be ditched at the soonest possible moment.

The crowd finally dispersed, leaving Yuki and Inuyasha alone in front of the restaurant. Inuyasha was checking his cellphone, just in case Kagome called, Yuki supposed. He chuckled to himself. Yeah right, like she'd ever call _him_. The girl was reluctant just to go out with him.

He decided to call Hiro, thinking he might have picked her up or she'd gotten back home by now.

"Hello."

"Oi, Hiro! This is Yuki."

An undignified snort. "Really. Wow, I never would've recognized that condescending voice. What do you want, Yuki? Are you done ruining Kagome's date?"

Yuki's face slid into a grimace. "What was there to ruin? Kagome didn't even _want_ to go out with him!" He shot a dirty look at Inuyasha, who didn't miss the harsh reference to him and returned the look with equal hostility. "Tell me, how long did he have to _beg_ her to go on a date with him? Weeks? Months of begging and pleading?" He gave Inuyasha a smug smile.

Inuyasha was completely beside himself with fury. If he'd ever wish to kill someone with his bare hands, it was this sleazebag. But then he thought about Kagome... and Sesshoumaru. If the bastard ever found out he'd lost Kagome, he would be dead man.

Ignoring Yuki's rude phone conversation with his brother, Inuyasha demanded his car from the valet who wasted no time in retrieving the vehicle. As he drove away, he wondered just where she'd gone to. Knowing her as he did, Kagome probably walked all the way home. He certainly hoped she didn't. Hiro would _never_ let him hear the end of it...and never let him near Kagome again, either. Keh. Well, he'd just have to see about that! _No one_, Hiro included, would keep Kagome away from him.

He did not even want to think about Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha hadn't told his brother about the date, but oh kami, he'd know now if he didn't find her in time.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Yuki watched as Inuyasha sped past in his fancy silver sports car. He'd stopped talking to Hiro because Hiro was now doing all the talking, or rather, all the shouting. The boy was frantic with worry for Kagome and demanded to know exactly what Yuki had done _this_ time. The valet brought Yuki's car around while Hiro swore up and down that if anything happened to Kagome, there would be hell to pay.

When Hiro's flow of words came to a halt, he hung up suddenly, too angry to continue. Yuki knew that he needed to find Kagome and soon, hopefully before Inuyasha did. But there, Inuyasha had the advantage for he was far better acquainted with Kagome and knew her habits.

He scowled as he floored the gas and took off down the street. There was no way he'd lose a woman to _that_ white-haired pansy!

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Chapter 6

Less than an hour after Kagome returned home on the back of Kouga's motorbike, Hiro bemusedly found himself sitting at the foot of Kagome's bed, listening to the events of her date. He said nothing when she told him of Yuki's crashing of her date. Indeed, she seemed almost grateful to the big blond menace for getting her out of what had been an already uncomfortable situation. But still, he would have to have a little 'chat' with Yuki for being a dick.

Nothing about the fight at the restaurant surprised Hiro. It was exactly what he would have expected of his brother and that other fool... but mainly his brother. When he'd heard about how Kagome had decided to walk home, Hiro felt his blood pressure skyrocket. How like Yuki to think nothing of others!

And as for that little encounter with Kouga, Hiro was completely taken aback. He could have sworn he'd had Kouga's personality down pat, but it appeared that he had been way off. The Kouga he _thought_ he knew never would have treated a woman so thoughtfully or tenderly as Kagome had been treated tonight.

As Kagome happily babbled on, she held onto the large jacket that she had forgotten to give back to her knight in shining leather. Hiro noted that whenever she looked down at it, her face softened. A small glimmer of hope welled up in Hiro's soul, but he viciously crushed it. Yes, Hiro wanted Kagome to be happy, but he would have to get to know Kouga more if she wanted to become involved with him.

He hoped to Kami that his baby girl wouldn't fall for a guy who was just being nice to her, because when she learned that he didn't feel the same about her, the knowledge would probably kill her. She had been through too much in her short life and had very few people who truly cared about her. From the way she talked about Kouga, it was obvious that there was a little spark of some adoration in her for him. When she finished talking, she smiled softly and hugged the jacket to her, sighing deeply.

Unable to keep silent anymore, he reached out and took her hands in his, Hiro looked deeply into her brown eyes. "Sweetheart, it's obvious that you already like Kouga, but please don't do anything about it yet. Okay? I know he _seems_ nice right now, but I'd feel more at ease if you got to know him better first." When she opened her mouth to speak, he shook his head and continued. "Sesshoumaru made me promise to watch over you, Kagome. I intend to do just that, whether you like it or not. Besides, if the two of you _do_ get together and he mistreats you, what then? Sesshoumaru will not only be furious with Kouga, but with me as well for letting you get involved with Kouga in the first place. That's all. I just want you to take your time on this."

Kagome studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, Hiro, of course. But you don't have to worry about that happening. Kouga-kun is a wonderful man and he's very handsome," she said with a rueful smile, looking down at the jacket again, "but someone like him would never want someone like me. He was just being kind."

Hiro pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. He really hated the way she was talking about herself. Someone like her? _Someone like her_ deserved the very best! Kouga may have been nice tonight, but that may have only been a ruse to get into her dress. Everything she said about Kouga was completely different from what Hiro had actually seen with his own two eyes. Something funny was definitely going on, but he would make sure that Kagome's tender little heart would remain untouched.

He did not trust Kouga; never had and never would. This situation would bear watching.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

As luck would have it, Yuki and Inuyasha managed to drive up to Kagome's house at the same time. They got out, glared at each other and marched up to the front door in stony silence. After banging loudly on the door in unison, they stepped back and continued to stare at the other with great hostility. A moment later, the door was opened by a yawning, sleep-touseled Hiro, who merely rolled his eyes and proceeded to shut the door on them. "Good night, gentlemen."

"Oh no you don't," Inuyasha muttered. His hand shot out to stop the door from closing. "Where is she?"

Inuyasha attempted to grab Hiro by the throat, but was grabbed instead by Yuki. He was shoved roughly up against the doorframe. "Hey! Watch the spine!"

Slitted green eyes bored into gold. "Don't touch my brother, punk," Yuki growled. "That's my job." He turned to his brother. "Where is she, Hiro? How did she get home?"

"I don't have to tell either of you a thing! You _ruined_ her entire evening, Yuki! And as for you," Hiro snapped, glaring accusingly over at Inuyasha, "_you've_ ruined her entire life! Can't you two just leave her alone?"

The two idiots stared blankly at Hiro for a moment before brushing their way past him into the house. Hiro ran after them and managed to make it to the bottom of the staircase just before they had a chance to make the ascent. His arms shot out, spanning the distance of the stairs, blocking the way. "No! I absolutely forbid you going upstairs and disturbing her! She's asleep, I'll have you know," he hissed.

"Oh, she'll see _me_. Get out of my way, loser," demanded a very tight-lipped Inuyasha.

"Hey! Don't talk to my brother that way!" Yuki slapped Inuyasha on the back of the head.

Inuyasha turned on Yuki. "Fuck you! I'll talk to you and your little faggot ass brother anyway I fucking wa--"

The rest of Inuyasha's sentence was cut off as Yuki's fist plowed into his mouth. Blood spurted everywhere as Inuyasha grabbed a handful of Yuki's jacket, pulling him down on the floor as he fell.

Sitting down on one of the steps with a feeling of impending doom, Hiro watched helplessly as the two wrestled on the floor together and thinking of what a pain in the ass it would be to get that blood out of the carpet. He'd have to call a professional cleaning service, no doubt about it. But the big question here was, how the _hell _would he be able to explain _this _to Sesshoumaru? Of course, he could always sneak the cleaners in, but no. Sesshoumaru would find out in the end somehow. He always did. _Nothing_ could remain hidden from those sharp eagle eyes. Shit...

From behind him, at the top of the stairs, he could hear a door open then a gasp. He whirled around in time to see Kagome staring down at them, face white as a sheet. "H-hiro? Is that... is that blood?" She stumbled against the wall, clapping her hand to her mouth. Kagome could not stand the sight of blood.

Hiro dashed up and caught her as she fainted. As he debated on whether to take her to her room, the sound of glass shattering caused his temper to flare. "You goddamn idiots! STOP FIGHTING!" Hiro screamed at the top of his lungs. Down below, the fighting did indeed cease. With a grunt, Hiro carried Kagome down the stairs so he could yell at them some more. "Now, I want both of you to start cleaning the blood off of the... Sesshoumaru!"

Inuyasha's older brother was standing in the middle of the living room, arms crossed and looking _extremely_ displeased. "What is going on in here?" he inquired in that deathly calm voice that struck terror into everyone except Kagome, Souta and sometimes Hiro when he was actually behaving himself.

Pushing himself off of Yuki, Inuyasha had scrambled to his feet, blood still dripping from his mouth and cut lip.

But Inuyasha _hadn't_ been behaving himself and had been foolish enough to get caught red-handed. Inuyasha had landed himself into some really deep shit and managed to look guiltier than Hiro ever thought he could. He very nearly laughed out loud at Inuyasha's predicament.

Sesshoumaru's question was met with dead silence, but he did not seem to notice. His eyes were only for the figure Hiro was holding. Knocking Inuyasha aside with one graceful smack to the forehead, he strode across the room, not even pausing to step over the panting blond man sprawled on the floor. "Hiro? What's happened to her? Is she okay?"

"Yes, she just fainted when she saw the blood at the foot of the stairs."

Satisfied, he nodded and turned his attention to the two men, who were standing side by side. Both were horribly disheveled, their faces and clothes bloodied. "You will both remove your filthy presences from this house at once," he intoned ominously. "Inuyasha, this idiotic juvenile behavior is very unbecoming of someone with your rank and station. I believe I had told you to stay away from here, did I not?"

"I don't have to obey your every command, you prick."

"Then you leave me no choice. I shall have a restraining order placed on you tomorrow," the older man continued on quietly, "and since this appears to be your blood staining the floor, money will be docked from your salary to have this unsanitary mess cleaned, as well to replace the crystal vase that you have so carelessly destroyed. Do I make myself clear?"

"I don't care about paying to have this cleaned up, but a restraining order? Isn't that a bit much? You can't do that, Sesshoumaru! That's... that's not fair!" protested Inuyasha indignantly, his face paling.

"I can and I will."

Inuyasha ran up to his brother, eyes pleading. "But I love her!"

No emotion passed over Sesshoumaru's perfect features save the slight twitching of one eyebrow. "Very touching to be sure, Inuyasha, although I personally could care less. You have repeatedly disobeyed my orders not to see her even though you know that seeing you upsets her. If you profess to love Kagome, then why do you not leave her be? Have you not figured out that she does not want a romantic relationship with you?"

"Have _you_ not figured out, mister smart ass, that I will do anything to make up for my behavior in the past? I _love_ her, damn it and I want to be with her. But what I want to know is, why the hell _you're_ here. You should be up in your office, planning to ruin someone else's life besides mine."

Sesshoumaru crossed his arms over his chest. "If you must know, I came to see how Kagome's night went and to _plan_ an appropriate punishment for you." Seeing his brother's eyes widen with surprise, Sesshoumaru added, "Did you think I would be unaware of your date tonight?"

"You bastard," Inuyasha muttered, turning on Hiro. "You fucking told him! I knew I shoulda ratted you out anyway!"

"Heh. I ratted myself out," Hiro retorted sharply. "I made a mistake in leaving her alone for a moment and I owned up to it. I felt bad about it, so I told your brother that you would be taking Kagome out."

"Snitch."

Sesshoumaru put a hand up. "Stop, Inuyasha. Go home. You are in enough trouble as it is. As for you," he said, turning to look at the strangely calm, fair-haired man who had taken a seat on the sofa and was successfully polluting the air with his second-hand smoke. "Leave now, or I call the police."

Yuki snorted. "Do you know who I am?"

Groaning, Inuyasha slapped his forehead. "Kami, don't start that again!"

Sesshoumaru blinked. "Do I look like I care?" he replied blandly.

Another groan erupted from Inuyasha.

Yuki merely laughed with delight. "How wonderful! It's obvious that you two are brothers, other than that really weird white hair you have. How charming." He grinned his brilliant white grin at the overly serious man before turning his gaze on Hiro, who stood silently, still holding Kagome. "I wish my own dear brother and I were as close as the two of you seem to be." Yuki sighed dreamily. "There's nothing but love in this room. Yes sir, nothing but love."

With a grunt, Sesshoumaru turned away from the blinding smile and took Kagome from Hiro, whose arms had begun to tire. Under his breath he said to Hiro, "I'll put Kagome to bed. Get rid of your foolish brother before I make him regret that he survived the trip out of his mother's womb." Once Kagome was cradled comfortably in his arms, he swept upstairs.

"Oi! Where do you think you're going?" cried Inuyasha, walking towards the stairs.

But Hiro once more positioned himself in front of the stairs. He was exhausted, irritable and he desperately wanted to go back to bed. "Get out, for fuck's sake!" he yelled. "Both of you! I swear I'll beat both of you down if you don't get the hell out! _I'm tired and cranky and I want to fucking kill you both so GET... OUT!" _he shrieked, eyes bulging madly.

Inuyasha couldn't help but take a step back. He'd never seen Hiro so enraged before. "Um, yeah, sure. Whatever you say, man." He made his escape without looking back.

This left Yuki, who had managed to clean most of the blood from his face was still sitting on the couch and taking slow drags from his cigarette. Furious brown eyes met cool green ones and after a moment, Yuki got to his feet. "Fine, I'll go as well. Are you feeling okay, Hiro? Because I could have sworn I heard some blood vessels popping..."

Hiro blessed Yuki with the nastiest smile he could dredge up. _"Get...the...fuck...out,"_ he ground out slowly between tightly clenched teeth.

Reluctantly, Yuki put out his cigarette and left. Once Hiro heard his brother drive away, he let himself relax and release a pent-up sign. He went over to lock the front door before he turned off the living room lights and went upstairs. The mess in the room would be cleaned up tomorrow. Before heading to his room, he knocked on Kagome's door.

The door opened and Hiro found himself looking at Sesshoumaru, whose body blocked his view of Kagome's semi-darkened room. "Hiro." His tie was gone, the top few buttons of his shirt were loosened and his long silvery locks were disheveled. Although he couldn't be sure, but Hiro could have sworn that Sesshoumaru was frowning.

Hiding his disappointment that he didn't find out what went on in Kagome's bedroom when Sesshoumaru was there, he said, "I'm going to bed now. I've locked up."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Thank you for all your help, Hiro. I apologize for speaking to your brother that way. I was... upset."

Chuckling, Hiro waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. I'm always upset at him. He's an arrogant jerk."

"I apologize all the same. If you don't mind, I'll stay here for tonight. Should I leave before you rise, I will lock the door. Good night, Hiro."

"Good night, Sesshoumaru."

The door closed and Hiro went to his room. He _really_ wanted to know what went on behind Kagome's door, but he was far too tired to dwell upon it.

As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was asleep.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Once he had tucked Kagome in, Sesshoumaru stepped back to study her when his foot struck something heavy lying on the floor. Looking down, he saw something large, black and lumpy at his feet. He picked it up and frowned. It was a leather jacket and an expensive one by the feel of it.

There was a knock on the door. It was Hiro saying that he had locked up and was going to bed. Sesshoumaru acknowledged this, wished him a good night and shut the door, turning his attention back to the jacket in his hand. An oddly disturbing scent wafted up from the jacket and Sesshoumaru sniffed it tentatively. His frowned turned into a scowl. The scent was cologne. A _man's_ cologne.

His fists trembled with suppressed rage, clutching the soft leather tightly. He would ask Kagome whom this jacket belonged to tomorrow, he thought, keeping a very tight rein on his anger. But he was not mad at Kagome, his most beloved one. Crap, now he was really upset. He'd felt it coming on when Hiro had told him earlier this week what Inuyasha had done. With every day that passed, he'd just gotten more irritable. He'd been unable to concentrate on anything. What was worse, he already hadn't had any since the previous Saturday. Thank kami he'd opted to stay tonight. Whenever he was with Kagome, he was able to do it without the pills.

Once again his attention was shifted to the damned jacket. Had some bastard dared to make a move on her? Well, no matter. The owner of this expensive coat would get his property back, yes, but Kagome would not be part of the bargain.

As for that young woman, she seemed to sense Sesshoumaru's chaotic emotions for she came to and looked around. "Sesshoumaru?"

He dropped the jacket on the ground before going to her, kneeling down beside her bed. "How are you feeling, koishii?"

Sitting up, she nodded, but looked away guiltily. "I... have a confession to make, Sesshoumaru."

Reaching up and running his fingers through her hair, Sesshoumaru smiled slightly. "I know, little one. Inuyasha forced you to go on a date with him." She shot a look at him and he nodded. "Hiro told me."

Her eyes searched his face and her bottom lip began to tremble. "I'm... sorry! I didn't mean to deceive you, really I didn't!"

Sesshoumaru gathered her in close to him and kissed her forehead. "I know you didn't, dearest. Inuyasha is a conniving jerk who doesn't know how to take no for answer. But you don't need to worry about him. I have plans for my disobediant brother."

Kagome yawned against his neck. "Please don't hurt him, Sesshoumaru." She pushed away from him and lay down, her eyes fighting to stay open. "You're upset, aren't you? Do you need to stay with me tonight?" she whispered sleepily, holding her arms out to him.

His only answer was to slide into those arms and hold her close.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Yuki sat on the cold cement of his balcony and sipped absently at his cold drink. He'd already bathed, washing away all the blood from Inuyasha's busted mouth. He looked down at his chest to make sure he hadn't dripped any of the liquid on his torso-hugging wife beater.

As he sat there, squeaky clean and smelling of soap and a light cologne, his eyes were fixated in the skies over his beloved city, his mind going over what had happened at Kagome's house. But it wasn't the fight, or the sheer pleasure of punching that jackass Inuyasha in the face that held his attention. He was thinking of that taller, older looking version of Inuyasha who had the power to throw commands around like he was king of the world.

Sesshoumaru, huh? Sesshoumaru... That name sounded very familiar. Could it be Morikawa Sesshoumaru? It had to be. Sesshoumaru was not a common name. Yuki'd never met the man until tonight, but he _had_ heard of him.

Morikawa, a major power player in Japanese business, was said to be a cold man, notorious for his hard-ass treatment of his employees. Oddly enough, not one of them ever complained about Morikawa's strict hold on them and actually deeply respected the man.

Yuki thought about how that Sesshoumaru guy acted tonight, telling Inuyasha what was and wasn't going to happen. It was pretty damn obvious that he was a man who knew how to take control, how to handle any situation with clear-headed thinking and show no emotion whatsoever. Oh yeah, he was Morikawa alright.

His fingers fumbled for his cigarette case and lighter which lay on the floor beside his thigh and lit one.

And too, there was the small matter of Kagome. The second Hiro had brought Kagome into the room, Yuki had seen Sesshoumaru's cool exterior slip just a little. One didn't have to be a genius to realize that she meant an awful lot to him.

Yuki frowned. What was the relationship between the two? There was one because that Sango female had told him that Kagome and Inuyasha were step-siblings, which also meant Sesshoumaru was included in that category. Although somehow, that didn't make Yuki feel any better. He remembered the way Sesshoumaru had held Kagome as he carried her up the stairs.

As for Inuyasha, being Kagome's step-brother hadn't stopped him from attempting to pursue her. Yuki highly doubted that a little hindrance like that would prevent Sesshoumaru from taking what he wanted.

Was that the case, then? _Did_ Sesshoumaru want Kagome? That was a rather unpleasant thought now that he thought about it. She seemed far too young and vulnerable for a hardened man like Sesshoumaru.

Taking a deep drag off his cigarette, he flicked the butt out over the balcony railing and watched it sail out into the night. What did it matter if Sesshoumaru wanted her? In the end, Yuki would come out on top like he always did. He would not give up on his desire to go after her himself and no cocky, self-important bastard like Morikawa Sesshoumaru would get in his way. When Yuki got tired of her, he'd hand her back to Sesshoumaru a little worse for wear, but still usable.

He got to his feet and stretched, rubbing his hand lightly across his taut, flat abdomen. A cool breeze ruffled his silk pajama pants and he smiled. His plan had just gotten even more interesting. Just the thought of taking something valuable out from under Morikawa's nose was too enticing!

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

When Hiro came downstairs the following morning, he found that Sesshoumaru was still there. He was drinking coffee and watching the news on television. "Ohayo gozaimasu, Sesshoumaru. Did you have a good night?" His eyes went to a dark lump that lay beside Sesshoumaru on the sofa and his heart skipped a beat. It was Kouga's leather jacket.

Sesshoumaru sipped at the aromatic brew. "It was restful enough for my needs, thank you. I would like to ask you something, Hiro."

Ignoring the low rumblings of his stomach, Hiro nodded. "Of course. What would you like to know?"

Picking up the jacket, Sesshoumaru held it out to Hiro. "To whom does this item belong?

Hiro took it with some trepidation and he knew that had been unwise to let that show. Sesshoumaru had seen the hesitation for his eyes had narrowed with suspicion. He couldn't very well lie now. Hiro hoped that Kagome really didn't have feelings for Kouga.

"This jacket belongs to an associate of my brother by the name of Matsuno Kouga. He, um..." Hiro looked down at the soft leather in his hands. He could feel a pair of golden eyes boring into his skull. "He was the one who brought Kagome home last night," he finished, flinching when Sesshoumaru jumped to his feet.

"You will explain this now."

And so Hiro did. Sesshoumaru's face darkened with fury but said nothing until after Hiro had finished. By then, that horrible gaze had switched from his face to another hapless object. But when he spoke, his voice was completely calm. "I see. Thank you for telling me what happened. I shall deal with it."

"I hope you won't go after Kouga. According to Kagome, he'd behaved like a gentleman towards her. She wasn't afraid with him." Inwardly, Hiro groaned. He couldn't believe that he was actually _defending_ Kouga! But if that fool made her happy, Hiro was all for it.

Sesshoumaru nodded curtly. "Of course. I shall do nothing to that particular gentleman, but I trust you shall keep an eye out if he should try to do anything harmful to her."

"You know I will."

"Good. Thank you. I shall call Kagome later on. I have things to... arrange. Sayonara."

Hiro stared at the closed front door for a long moment, his fingers still clutching at the buttery smooth leather of Kouga's jacket. Someone was about be very miserable.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Monday rolled heavily into Inuyasha's life. After being rudely awakened by his alarm clock, then by Souta who had been sent on a mission by Kami-sama, i.e. Sesshoumaru, and told to "wake the hell up". Eventually, he did and dragged himself into the shower.

Later, he came downstairs, feeling a bit chipper than he did earlier and more than ready for breakfast. When he reached the dining room, he found Souta sitting at the table by himself. That was strange, for Sesshoumaru made it a point to always eat breakfast with their stepbrother. "Where's his royal highness at this morning?" he asked, eyes searching the room warily as though he half-expected Sesshoumaru to spring out of one of the walls at him.

"He left early," replied Souta, perfectly imitating Sesshoumaru while sipping his steaming cup of tea.

Those three words did not bode well. Inuyasha felt as if his stomach had turned to lead. "I guess this means I have to take your little punk ass to school, huh?" he joked, reaching over the table to ruffle the boy's hair. After which, he pulled off his coat and set his briefcase down beside his seat.

Souta said nothing, only swatting ineffectually at Inuyasha's hand. "Stop it, Inuyasha! Yeah, you _have_ to take me. Sesshoumaru said so."

Sitting down at his usual spot across from Souta, Inuyasha waited as a silent servant placed a plate in front of him. When the young woman left, he asked nonchalantly, "Did he tell you why he left early? Was there an emergency meeting or something?"

"He didn't say." There was a heavy silence for a moment. "What did you do this time, Inu?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"You can't lie to me, you know. I may not remember all of what went on when we were younger, but I know that my sister always cried a lot. I'd like to know what happened to her back before mom died."

Inuyasha stared into those soft brown eyes that were so like Kagome's own and felt his insides drop a little. There was no way Inuyasha could tell that youthful face what he'd done to his sister. Clearing his throat a little, Inuyasha turned his attention to his plate. "Did you try asking Sesshoumaru?" he asked, picking up his bowl of miso soup and taking a sip.

The young man eyed Inuyasha steadily. "Yes. He told me to ask you. So, what happened?"

Startled golden eyes stared at Souta over the rim of the small bowl. Setting it back on the table, Inuyasha quickly lowered his eyes. "I think it's time to go," he said hastily, picking up a piece of toast and biting in to it. He got up and grabbed his coat, the toasted bread sticking out of his mouth.

"We still have plenty of--"

"Nope, time to go!" Inuyasha insisted, quickly grabbed his briefcase and rushed out of the room.

Souta stared after his stepbrother in stunned silence, but got up and gathered his things anyway. Now, he was left to wonder exactly what happened back then. It seems that no one wanted to tell him anything about it. Very strange.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The moment Inuyasha went got to his desk, his secretary buzzed him on the phone. When he picked it up, he was told that his brother had just called and had asked for Inuyasha to go to his office at once. The feeling of doom he had felt earlier had returned in full force.

All the way up to his Sesshoumaru's office, Inuyasha wondered what his punishment would be, for he knew this was in retaliation for disobeying his majesty's direct orders. Well, fuck him _and_ his stupid orders. Couldn't Sesshoumaru see that he was trying to make amends with Kagome? Besides, what could Sesshoumaru possibly do to him? It wasn't as if he murdered anyone.

"Come in, Inuyasha. I'm pleased you could make it."

Inuyasha slammed the door behind him. "Cut the bullshit, Sesshoumaru. What do you want? I still have tons of paperwork to do from last week."

His brother sat back in his chair and interlaced his fingers, letting them rest against his abdomen. "Do not worry on that score, brother dear. I shall have others take care of that for you."

Oh yeah, thought Inuyasha solemnly, the bastard's got something _really_ nasty planned for my ass. "I'd thank you, but I know the worst is still to come. Quit dragging this out already. What the fuck are you going to do to me?"

Sesshoumaru silently regarded his irritated brother a moment before speaking. "I have given your punishment great thought and I have decided that putting a restraining order on you was too rash."

"Thank you," Inuyasha murmured gratefully.

"However, I have found an alternative that would suit both myself and Kagome. It will allow you to call her whenever you wish."

Inuyasha's heart stood still. "What have you done, Sesshoumaru?" His mouth had gone dry; his palms began to sweat like crazy. Here it comes, he thought, hoping against hope that it wouldn't be too bad. Please kami, let him go easy on me!

A slight smile tilted Sesshoumaru's lips upwards. "Instead of forcing you by law not to go anywhere near her, I have decided to transfer you to Kagoshima for a period of one year."

"No...Sesshoumaru..."

"Yes, Inuyasha."

"Y-you can't... can't do that to me," rasped the younger man hoarsely. "You can't!"

"Do not be silly, Inuyasha. You know very well that I can. Besides, this is only for a year. You'll be back bothering Kagome before you know it."

"But, Kagome--"

The elder Morikawa nodded sagely. "Ah yes, Kagome. Do not worry, little brother. I will make sure she is well taken care of so don't you worry about a thing."

Lunging forward, Inuyasha grabbed hold of the edge of his brother's marble desk. "You...dirty bastard! I won't go there! You can't make me go!" He shook the table as hard as he could, but the damn thing was immovable. Just like his damned brother.

Sesshoumaru leaned forward, eyes narrowed. "You _will_ go, Inuyasha, or I _shall_ place the restraining order on you and you will **_never_** lay eyes on her again! Do I make myself clear?" His voice never even rose a notch to get his point across; he never had to. That killing stare made even the bravest man cower and as it rested on Inuyasha, it began to work its magic.

With a muffled sob, Inuyasha fell to his knees in front of the desk, his forehead coming to rest on the cool material. "All I wanted... was to take her out... show her how I really feel. I love her, Sesshoumaru."

As he watched Inuyasha weep into the marble, Sesshoumaru couldn't help but look away. Hearing his brother cry like a little boy wrenched at his heart. He really did love his brother very much; he loved Kagome too, but she just happened to be the weaker of the two and unable to defend herself. Maybe the boy really did love her. It was beginning to look more and more like he did.

Rising from his chair, he walked to his floor to ceiling windows and stared out over his domain. Perhaps... perhaps there was hope for Inuyasha after all.

"Inuyasha."

A pathetic little sniffle. "Yes?"

"Make it six months instead."

Silence filled the office and Sesshoumaru turned to look at his brother. Inuyasha was still on his knees, his shining golden eyes peering over the top of his desk, letting Sesshoumaru know that he couldn't believe what he just heard. "Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru went over to Inuyasha and held out his hand to help him up. "You will go to Kagoshima and stay there for six months. If, after that time you find that you are still in love with Kagome, you may pursue her _if_ she wishes you to. But if she does not, then you will drop the matter. Understood?"

The figure on the floor jumped up and pounced on Sesshoumaru, knocking him to the floor. "Sesshoumaru! Oniisan! I knew you loved me!"

"Oi! Get off me, baka!" growled the big brother, attempting to push the excitable Inuyasha off of him. It didn't work. Instead, they began wrestling on the floor. When it was over, Sesshoumaru gave Inuyasha a mighty shove and scrambled away. "What were you thinking? Look at my clothes!" Despite his annoyance at the wrinkled clothing, Sesshoumaru was feeling alot better, happier even. It had been a very long time since they wrestled together like that.

Inuyasha, whose clothes weren't much better, grinned up at his brother, eyes twinkling and hair in complete disarray. "Thank you! Thank you so much! I'll do my very best for you, Sesshoumaru!"

Nodding, Sesshoumaru allowed himself a small smile at his brother. "Yes, I know you will, Inuyasha. You will leave tomorrow and by then, your apartment will already be prepared for you. The experience you'll garner at our branch there will be invaluable. I know you will enjoy your time there."

"And I'll be able to call her? You're okay with that?"

"Yes. I will let Hiro know to allow her to accept your calls."

"Okay, well. I should get back to work then?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "No. Go home and pack. Enjoy what time you have left here before you leave. We'll have your favorite dinner tonight, okay? You, Souta, Kagome and myself will eat together as a family. Sound good?"

Smiling, Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah. Sounds really good."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Chapter 7

True to his word, Kouga did indeed call Kagome about the riding lessons. She was a bit nervous, but told Kouga that she would like to try it just once. He laughed heartily in her ear and told her that if she enjoyed being a passenger last night, she'd love it even more once being a driver.

An hour later, Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku showed up, the low rumblings of their bikes announcing their arrival. Kagome dashed out to greet them, with Kouga's jacket in hand. Hiro followed her out, locking the door behind him, then turning to eye the bikers warily. He knew that Kouga and his boys were seasoned riders, but he also knew that they tended to be a bit wild on their bikes, showing off.

Hiro sincerely hoped there would be no showing off today. Kagome's life would be at risk... and so would his neck should something happen to her.

"Oi, Hiro! Ready to ride?" called Kouga. "Oh hey, we forgot to completely introduce ourselves last night. Sorry about that. I know you don't really know who we are, Hiro, even though we work with your brother and all."

"Trust me, I know who _you_ are, Matsuno," Hiro answered shortly.

"Yeah well, I'm mainly doing this for Kagome's benefit. Kagome, this is Kawase Ginta and the one with the mohawk is Kawase Hakkaku." The two brothers nodded to Kagome, who smiled and waved back at them while Kouga slipped a helmet onto her head and helped her onto his bike. There was a smirk on his face as he fastened the jacket on her. "It's been awhile, yeah?" Kouga asked Hiro. "Since you last rode a big boy's bike?"

With a scowl, Hiro glared at Kouga. "I'm not going to do this with you today, Kouga. Let's just go and get this over with."

Hakkaku whistled at Hiro, who was fishing in his trouser pocket for something. "Hey Hiro! Wanna ride with a real man?" he called out, giving Hiro a wink and a lewd grin. Ginta and Kouga gave themselves up to raucous laughter, while Kagome only looked confused.

Without bothering to look back at the hecklers, Hiro gave them the finger before going around to the side of the house. He disappeared for a moment and then a low, familiar rumbling noise erupted from the back of the house and a few seconds later, Hiro emerged on the back of shiny black Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Ginta and Hakkaku stared openly, mouths hanging open. Kouga looked suitably impressed and walked over to Hiro when he brought the bike to a rest. Shutting off the engine, Hiro sat back, a smug smile on his face.

"Wow, you got it after all," Kouga remarked, awe evident in his voice. He ran a finger lightly over the headlight. "She's beautiful."

"That, she is. This, gentlemen, is the VRSCDX Night Rod Special, 2007 model. What do you think?"

It took less than a second for the other guys to get over their shock and rush over for a closer inspection. They took turns sitting astride the coveted bike, turning it on and revving the engine.

Kouga stood beside Hiro while watching his friends examining the bike. "When did you get it? Did you have it shipped from America?" he asked in a low, almost breathless voice.

"Yeah, I got it from the States, though probably not legally." Hiro lowered his voice as well. "It was a present from Yuki. He's been trying to gain my favor in order to pursue Kagome. I can't believe he'd ordered it and had it delivered to me so quickly. Someone probably got knocked off for it." He and Kouga both cast concerned glances back over their shoulders at Kagome, who was still sitting astride Kouga's bike. Her hands were nervously fidgeting with the sleeves of the jacket and her head was bowed in submission, as though she were a child who had been told not to touch anything. "He must _really_ want to take her out, though I can't understand why he would wish to. She isn't even his type."

"Will you let him?" Kouga asked, his blue eyes not leaving the slender form on his ride.

"Only if she wants him to," Hiro replied with a sigh, turning and walking over to Kagome. She looked up at him, her eyes peering out at him from inside the helmet. "Are you okay, sweetheart? Do you feel up to this?" he asked, taking one of her small hands in his and holding it against his body.

The helmet shifted a little as she nodded her head. She smiled up at him and as she did so, she heard the sound of Hiro's bike turn off suddenly. Everyone crowded around to look at her and out of habit, she shrank against Hiro, turning her face to his body. She hated when people stared at her like that, their eyes full of pity. She was already pitiful enough without being made to feel even more so.

As Hiro's arm went around her, she relaxed and hugged him back, taking comfort in his wonderfully calming presence. But another presence was beside her and she felt a large, warm hand on her shoulder. Kagome turned to see Kouga. He had bent down slightly, so that he was eye level with her. His eyes studied her through the mask of the helmet she wore, those smooth black brows furrowed with concern.

"You know, you don't have to do this today," he said softly, his blue eyes matching his voice. "I won't get mad if you aren't ready."

Kagome barely heard the words he spoke. She had somehow, gotten lost in those incredible sparkling blue eyes. If he'd asked her to commit grand theft auto with him, she knew she would have agreed without hesitation. "I'm fine. It's just that... I don't like people staring at me," she whispered, finally able to break the hold of his steady gaze, her eyes dropping down to the seat in front of her. "May we go now?"

"Yeah, sure." Kouga tipped her head up so she could look at him. His grin was almost as comforting as Hiro's embrace. He straightened and got on the seat in front of her. "Let's go, guys."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

They rode to a large, empty school parking lot about ten miles away. While Hiro, Ginta and Hakkaku were discussing Hiro's new motorcycle, Kouga had moved behind Kagome, who had removed her helmet, and was showing her the basics. She had managed to snuggle up against Kouga, who did not seem to mind the closeness at all.

As for Hiro, he kept his eye on Kouga's hands to make sure they never went anywhere they weren't supposed to go. To his surprise however, Kouga was actually into the lesson, his handsome face serious as he explained how to shift the gears. Kagome stared up at Kouga admiringly and even had the grace to occasionally look at where Kouga was pointing out certain things to her. Though, whenever Kagome turned her face away, a tender little smile would cross over Kouga's face, telling Hiro that Kagome's driving instructor was enjoying her company immensely.

Two hours later, Kagome was riding around by herself on Kouga's motorcycle in front of her house. Her shifting skills still weren't completely smooth, but it was fair enough and Kouga was pleased with how fast she learned. When she came to a stop and turned off the engine, she put down the kickstand and launched herself at Kouga, thanking him profusely and proclaiming that riding a motorcycle was "just awesome".

Kouga laughed and held her close. He thought a moment and looked over at Hiro, a question in his eyes. Hiro looked from Kouga to Kagome and back again...then smiled, giving the black-haired man a nod of approval. Relief flooded Kouga and he pulled back. Kagome stared up at him, a bright smile plastered all over her face before she dashed off in the direction of Hiro's Harley, where it was resting in the half-empty two-car garage. Hakkaku and Ginta were still openly drooling over it.

Hiro walked over to Kouga, who was leaning against Hiro's car, which was parked outside, and was watching Kagome. "So... when did you figure _this_ out?" Hiro asked, also glancing over to where Kagome and Ginta were chatting animatedly.

Running a hand through his hair Kouga said, "Today, although I must admit I'd had a few perverted fantasies about her when I first set eyes on her. I've been waiting for a chance to meet her for awhile now." Kouga chuckled ruefully, but soon grew serious. "I don't want her at your brother's mercy, that's for sure," he said quietly. "All he wants to do is use her and throw her away."

"I'm inclined to agree," muttered Hiro bitterly. "But I'm afraid she has innocently posed a challenge to him and of course, Yuki feels he must overcome it. He'd break her heart so fast..." His voice trailed off, but he continued to watch her as she started his bike. Ginta was behind her, giving her helpful hints as they shot forward out of the garage and out onto the street. She was laughing and Hiro felt his heart grow warm at the sound, for Kagome did not laugh much.

"I really like Kagome." Turning to Hiro, Kouga grasped his shoulder. "I won't hurt her, I swear."

Looking back at Kouga, Hiro saw the earnestness in those bright blue eyes and he knew instinctively that Kouga was telling the truth. It was strange to find out he had been completely mistaken in his views of that particular gentleman. "I know, Kouga. But I'll have to tell Sesshoumaru about this, you know. He relies on my opinions, seeing as how I know her better than anyone else. He'll allow you to date her, but only if _she_ wants it. Of course, you'll have to ask Kagome yourself, but I've seen how she looks at you. She really admires you, Kouga." Hiro grinned and clapped Kouga on the back. "You shouldn't have any trouble on that front."

Kouga frowned. "Why does this Sesshoumaru person have to know? Is he like, her dad or something?"

Shaking his head, Hiro replied, "No. Sesshoumaru is her step-brother, as well as her guardian. He feels that it is his job to protect her at all costs."

"And that's why you're always with her?"

"Yes. He asked me to keep an eye on her since he was unable to do it himself."

"If he wanted to watch over her more closely, why let her live in a separate house?" asked Kouga. "What's with the overprotectiveness anyway? Does she have a terminal illness?"

With a laugh, Hiro shook his head. "Oh no, nothing like that!" he reassured the dark-haired man beside him and went on to tell him of Kagome's past. "So you see, he's afraid that if she becomes ill again, no one will be around to help her. But he doesn't want to smother her, which is why he lets her live in her own house."

After hearing all of that information, Kouga felt almost numb inside. "She nearly... died? Oh damn. I didn't know... No wonder he treats her like glass. I would too, if it ever came to that. Treat her like glass, that is." He looked over at Hiro, who was watching Kagome ride up and down the street with Ginta. "How do you do it? I mean, you have to report every little thing back to Sesshoumaru. Don't you ever go out with your friends? Party? Do you have a life at all?"

Hiro's face instantly sobered, his eyes growing sad. "I go out very seldom. But then, I don't really deserve to go out and have fun." He lowered his head. "I left her, deserted her when she needed me most. For five years, I went to school, partied... while she suffered." Squeezing his eyes shut, Hiro turned his head away. "And that bastard brother of mine... Yuki bribed me to come live with him, saying he'd pay for my college tuition, a new car, anything I wanted. So I stayed with him all that time, and he made sure I got hooked on pot, ecstasy and booze just so he could keep me under his thumb."

He turned his face to Kouga and stared at him with tear-filled eyes. "Want to know _why_ he did that? Just so he could get back at our parents because he felt they turned me against him." Hiro swiped viciously at his eyes. "Of course, that was completely untrue. They loved him and were heartbroken when he ran away."

"Then why did you go to live with him?" asked Kouga in a hushed voice.

"To keep an eye on him. Report back to my parents on how he was doing. That went fine for awhile until Yuki found out. That was when he began pushing his lifestyle on me and I went along with it, because I believed that he loved me and would never let anything hurt me. I had never been so wrong in my life."

Kouga ran a hand through his black locks. "And what of Kagome? He let you call her every once in while, right?"

Hiro nodded. "Yeah, but I couldn't go to her. Even when the pain in her voice tore me in two, I still couldn't go. I begged and pleaded with Yuki, but he told me that if I left, he'd cut me off completely. At the end of the third year, when I thought I couldn't take anymore, I received a phone call from Sesshoumaru. He told me... he told me that Kagome's heart had nearly given out and that she was barely clinging to life." Straightening his back, Hiro stared ahead with angry eyes. "That snapped me back to reality. I went completely clean and two years later was able to finish college before I left Yuki. But before I went, I'd had a couple of lengthy conversations with Sesshoumaru, who agreed to allow me to take care of Kagome since he was busy running his company."

"I guess Kagome doesn't know any of this?"

"Hell no! I couldn't bring myself to tell her what I'd been up to, why I couldn't be there for her. It was bad enough leaving her to suffer all alone. Kami...and she nearly died! That almost killed me, Kouga. I couldn't have lived with myself if she'd died."

There was a shriek and both men ran, panic-stricken, out onto the street. Kagome was driving pretty fast and Ginta was holding on to her, saying something in her ear. Kagome was shook her head and yanked her hands off the handle bars and used them to cover her eyes. With a laugh, Ginta easily took over, slowing down the bike. He steered them back over to where Hakkaku stood in the garage, laughing so hard he was bent over double. Ginta, who was now laughing too, helped a trembling yet giggling Kagome off the bike.

Hiro looked at Kouga, who's face had turned white with fright. "I think you'd better go ask her out now before she tries to kill herself going too fast on a motorcycle."

Nodding absently, Kouga replied in a shaking voice, "Um, yeah, I should. Right now...?" Bringing his hands up to his hips, he slid his palms down the sides of his pants. "Damn, I'm nervous." His voice shook even more. "I... I've never been nervous about asking a girl out before. Weird, huh?"

"Then you'd better do it now before you lose what little nerve you have left," quipped Hiro, giving Kouga a good shove in Kagome's direction.

Stiffening his spine, Kouga managed to schlepp his way over to where Kagome stood talking with the brothers. Hiro watched with some amusement as Kouga shooed away his friends and when they didn't budge, he took Kagome by the hand and gently pulled her away from them and out to where the cherry tree stood in the front yard.

Ginta and Hakkaku looked puzzled and both shot questioning glances at Hiro, who only grinned back. They walked over to him and Hakkaku asked, "What's he doing?"

As the grin grew wider, Hiro murmured, "What do you think?"

ooooooooo

Once he had Kagome all to himself, Kouga cleared his throat. 'It should not be this hard!' his mind screamed at him. "Um, Kagome? I know we only met last night, but um..."

Kagome's huge chocolate brown eyes widened with some surprise. "Yes, Kouga?"

"Well, I've been watching you for awhile now and..." Kouga began and then faltered. I've been watching you for awhile now? Damn, how creepy was that? That made him sound like some kind of stalker or something and damn, those eyes of hers were really doing something weird to his insides. Concentrate, baka!

"Would you like to go out with me sometime? Just the two of us?" he asked softly. "If you don't want to or if this is way too early for you, I can always wait. I'll understand. Its just that... well... you're different from the women I normally date and--"

Kagome put a hand out and lightly touched his shirt. "If you really mean it, then I would love to go out with you, Kouga-kun. You seem to be very nice and I'm not afraid to be with you. It seems that Hiro approves of you, so I guess that means I can trust you, too." She gave him a shy, uncertain smile.

As for Kouga, it took him a minute before he realized that she had agreed to go out with him. He grinned stupidly back down at her before snapping her hand up and pressing a light kiss on the knuckles. "You _can_ trust me, Kagome. I only hope I'm good enough for you."

Kagome smiled at him again when her cell phone went off. She pulled it out of her pocket and looked at the small screen. "Excuse me, Kouga-kun!" she said and moved away to answer it. "Sesshoumaru! Hi!"

While she was talking, Kouga moved away to where his buddies and Hiro stood. There was a decided spring in his step, not to mention that he was grinning from ear to ear. "I guess she said yes," Hiro said, tilting his head to the side, his dark eyes twinkling.

Blushing to the roots of his black hair, Kouga nodded, which sent the Kawase brothers into shouts of joy. They pounced on Kouga, each trying to give him a massive noogie. Kouga fought back, wrestling them both to the ground, all of them laughing.

Hiro smiled down at them then turned his attention to Kagome, who leaned back against the trunk of the cherry tree. She was frowning.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Sesshoumaru! Hi!" chirped Kagome happily.

A deep chuckle sounded in her ear. "Hello, beloved. I see you're having a good day. Did Hiro take you out somewhere?"

"Not just Hiro, Sesshoumaru! Kouga-kun and his friends came over! He taught me how to ride a motorcycle! Wasn't that nice of him?"

"Yes it was. You said Hiro went with you? Hmm. I don't believe I've met your new friends."

Kagome could detect the worry in his voice and she hurried to reassure him. "No, you haven't met them yet. Oh! Hiro rode with us on his own motorcycle! I wish you could see it, Sesshoumaru! It's really pretty." She giggled. "It goes pretty fast, too. Kouga-kun and his friends are really nice. You'd like them, I think."

"I see. I'm glad you are happy, darling. Actually, I was calling to ask if you would like to eat dinner at the house tonight."

She frowned slightly. "But I don't feel sick today and I've been eating pretty well lately. Really I have! Besides, its only Monday. Is something wrong?"

Sesshoumaru laughed. "No, no! I know it's only Monday. I would like us to eat together as a family tonight. Inuyasha will be moving to Kagoshima tomorrow and he'll be gone for six months. It would be nice for all of us to be together before he leaves."

Her breathing quickened and she looked up, seeing Hiro watching her steadily with those dark, keen eyes of his. Quickly, she turned away and moved to the other side of the tree. "You're sending Inuyasha away? For six months? But Sesshoumaru, he didn't really do anything to me. Wasn't that a bit harsh?" She tried to keep the panic from her voice and hoped to kami she'd succeeded.

There was a heavy silence on Sesshoumaru's end for a moment. Then he spoke, his tone neutral. "Originally, I had planned that he was to be gone for an entire year, but I relented at the last minute and shortened it to only half a year. He disobeyed me, Kagome. I will not stand for disobediance from my employees and that goes double for my own flesh and blood." There was a sigh and he went on in a gentler voice, "The reason I shortened his sentence was because he said he loved you, Kagome. I said that if he felt the same in six months' time after he's matured somewhat, that he may pursue you, _if_, and only _if_, you wish him to."

For a moment, Kagome felt faint and she clutched at the tree. "And you believed him?" She peered around the tree trunk and stared over at Hiro again, but this time, Kouga was watching her as well and she felt her face turn bright red. The faintness returned, a little stronger this time.

"He did seem very sincere in his confession," Sesshoumaru admitted. "Tears were shed."

_"He cried?"_ Kagome squeaked. She couldn't believe that! Inuyasha? Crying? _Over her?? _ That can't be good, she thought. Not good at all! Despite what most people believe, Sesshoumaru was one of the kindest men she'd ever met. He had a soft spot for all of his siblings, blood-related or otherwise. All Inuyasha would need to do to wriggle out of the trouble he was in was to play upon Sesshoumaru's emotions and it was quite obvious that he had succeeded.

Oh man... all of this was her fault! Should she have just let Inuyasha have his way at the beginning? She'd kept on refusing him. Was this his way of getting back at her? No doubt Inuyasha blamed her for what happened to him. Sesshoumaru had just given him six months to plot his revenge AND the green light to pursue her when those six months were up. Her only saving grace was that the final word would be hers, which in turn would be Sesshoumaru's.

"Yes," replied her stepbrother. "But as I said, Kagome, it will be up to you. Understand?"

She nearly groaned aloud. Right, like THAT would make a difference to Inuyasha! After all, hadn't he managed to sneak into her house while Hiro was away and gotten a date out of her through blackmail? It would be better to have the restraining order against him!

Kagome turned her back on the men standing in her driveway, leaned back against the trunk and slid down to the ground. "Y-yes, Sesshoumaru. I understand. What time shall I be there? Do you wish Hiro to come?" She was really fighting to keep the tears at bay, but felt herself losing the battle.

"Hmm. Let's say seven, okay? No, Hiro does not need to come. He spends enough time with you, don't you think? Its only fair that he share you with you own family every now and then."

"Okay. I'll be there at seven," she heard herself saying before murmuring a soft goodbye and snapping her phone shut.

What would Inuyasha do to her? What would he say? Pulling her knees up to her chest, Kagome sat there, staring into space, totally unaware of the tears rolling down her cheeks. Inuyasha had never been punished so severely before. He'd lived in Tokyo all his life and now he was being forced to move away... all because of her.

Her stomach roiled and she suddenly felt very ill. Inuyasha would get back at her, she knew. He would hurt her, make her pay for disrupting his life like that. Whimpering softly, she dropped her forehead onto her knees as those cruel words from the past came flooding back. Inuyasha had hated her once, when she had done nothing to him. What would he do _now_, when because of her, he was being sent away from the only home he'd ever known? Nothing good would come of this, she was sure of it.

Warm arms wrapped themselves around her and she found herself hugged to a very masculine chest. With a sob, she allowed the arms to hold her tightly while she wept into his shirt.

"What's wrong, Kagome?" the owner of the chest asked in a worried voice.

Startled, she wrenched away, her gaze meeting bright blue eyes. "Kouga-kun?"

He nodded, his black hair falling into his eyes as he stared down at her. "Are you okay? What did Sesshoumaru say to you?"

"It was nothing," she said, giving him a watery smile. "I am to have dinner with my family tonight."

"And that's what made you cry?" Hiro asked incredulously. Sesshoumaru had inadvertantly told her something very upsetting. Inadvertantly, because Sesshoumaru would _never_ intentionally upset Kagome.

Scrambling to her feet, Kagome looked around at the circle of concerned faces. "I'm fine, really. Please, don't worry about me. I'm just...hormonal." Her eyes shifted away when there was a round of throat-clearing. "Sorry." That was the best excuse she could come up with? Pathetic!

"No, no, that's okay. I'm used to hearing about female complaints," Kouga reassured her, massaging one of her shoulders. "I guess we should go ahead and leave. I'm sure Kagome would like to rest before she gets ready to see her family."

There was a murmur of agreement. Ginta and Hakkaku each gave her a hug goodbye and went to their motorcycles. Hiro went with them, leaving Kagome alone with Kouga, who shot him a grateful look.

Kouga turned to Kagome and took her hands in his. "Did you really mean it when you said you'd go out with me?" he asked in a low, hesitant voice.

The shyness in his voice and bright blue eyes touched Kagome. She nodded. "Yes, I really meant it. Thank you for taking an interest in me, Kouga-kun."

His eyes lit up and he smiled. "Thank you for giving me a chance. I'll make you happy, I swear." He leaned down and lightly kissed her forehead. "I'll call you later, Kagome."

With that, he went to his bike and a minute later, he and his friends were gone. Hiro went over to Kagome, who stared down the street after Kouga. Gathering her into his arms, Hiro bent down and kissed her temple. "You like him."

"Yes. Very much," she said wistfully, leaning back against him. "Kouga-kun is very kind."

"Think I was wrong about him?"

Turning in his embrace, she looked up at him, eyes twinkling. "Yeah, I think you were."

Grinning down at her, he took her hand and they went inside the house.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

Two hours later, Kagome pulled up into the driveway of the sprawling Morikawa estate. But she did not go inside immediately. She sat in the car with the engine off and stared off into space. Her mind kept going over what Inuyasha would say to her when she walked in the front door.

How long she sat behind the wheel of her car, she did not know, but soon there was movement off to her right that caused her to jump. She turned to see Inuyasha staring back at her through the driver's side window.

"Kagome, you okay?" he asked, his hand going for the door handle. The door came open and he stepped around it, crouching down beside her. "I suppose _he_ told you that I was leaving tomorrow."

She nodded, her eyes warily fixed on his face and he continued.

"I'll be gone for six months, but when I return, I'd like to take you out again and this time, I'll ask you out only if _you_ want me to. I won't force you into it or trick you. That was stupid of me and I want to apologze for my behavior. Forgive me?"

He held out his hand to her, his eyes watching her steadily. Kagome took his hand hesitantly. His fingers closed lightly over hers and bending his head over her hand, kissed the knuckles. Lifting his eyes to hers, he smiled at her and reached over her slim figure and unbuckled her seatbelt. "Come on, everyone's waiting."

ooooooooooooooooooooo


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry I'm taking so long to update! This chapter isn't really that important, except that it explains about Sesshoumaru's mysterious visits in Kagome's room. I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 8

The moment she walked in the front door, Kagome was greeted by Sesshoumaru and rather effusively by Souta. Sesshoumaru waited patiently while Souta hugged his sister. He noted that Souta did not hug her very tightly at all and instantly knew why. Kagome and Souta hadn't seen each other in a few months and despite Sesshoumaru's best efforts to make sure she ate properly, Kagome had managed to drop her weight a few more pounds from her already waifish figure. Then too, she'd been ill and had not be able to keep her food down.

'She must still be ill,' he thought uneasily, for her face was white and strained. He did not get a close look at her eyes, for she kept them averted. Odd, for Hiro would have reported this obvious change in her health to him the second it was noted.

Sesshoumaru frowned a little when it was his turn to embrace her. Kagome was not feverish, thank kami, and in fact, she did not feel very warm at all. Her skin was cool to the touch and he knew something was definitely wrong with her. Perhaps she wasn't ill, after all, for it seemed as if she was terrified of something. Or someone.

That assumption was proven correct during dinner as Sesshoumaru watched her eat, to make sure she ate enough. As usual, Sesshoumaru sat at the head of the table. To his left sat Inuyasha and on his right was Souta while Kagome sat opposite of Sesshoumaru on the other end of the table. During the meal, Sesshoumaru was able to observe Kagome continuously avoiding Inuyasha's eyes, or rather, trying to for the most part. The silly boy had scooted over in her direction in order to be closer to her, his eyes rarely leaving her face.

But Kagome being Kagome, she was polite in replying to Inuyasha's queries, but there was a definite stiffness in her manner that hadn't been present when she answered Sesshoumaru's or Souta's questions. Once, when Inuyasha reached out to touch her hand, Sesshoumaru saw Kagome flinch almost imperceptibly but she did not move away. When his eyes met hers over the table, she quickly dropped her gaze before his. Odd. Kagome never turned her eyes away from his like that.

But the real problem for Sessoumaru was that Kagome did not eat much of her meal, which was something that really upset him. Normally, Kagome would make certain to eat a sizeable portion to please her elder stepbrother, knowing that he would fuss over her like a mother hen until she ate _something_ and plenty of it, but this time she did not hide the fact that she did not want her food. This disturbed Sesshoumaru more than he could say for he knew then without a doubt that something bad had happened to her to make her react like this. Damn...he was going to have to make a visit to Kagome's house tonight.

Later, when Inuyasha began to hint at wishing to be left alone with Kagome, Sesshoumaru was very reluctant to allow that course of action, especially since the young lady in question repeatedly cast pleading glances at the elder Morikawa, conveying the impression that she did _not _to be left alone with Inuyasha. So naturally, Sesshoumaru heeded her silent pleas to stay, much to Inuyasha's dismay and the four of them gathered together in the living room. Sesshoumaru discussed how he wanted his Kagoshima branch to be run with Inuyasha, who only half-heartedly listened while casting longing glances over at Kagome, who sat beside Souta on the other side of the room and continued to avoid Inuyasha's attempts to make her look at him.

Later when it was time for Kagome to go home, Inuyasha managed to follow her outside when Sesshoumaru wasn't looking and coming up behind her, swept her into his arms, and kissed her gently. "I'm really very sorry, Kagome. Please, won't you think about it? I'll grow up and become the man you need. I'll take care of you, I swear."

Kagome tried hard not to look into those pleading honey-tinted eyes, but failed miserably. As she stared up at him in the dark, she could see love in those eyes... and something else. This _something_ glittered feverishly in his eyes and made her fervently wish that Sesshoumaru was around. When she realized it was lust, she began to panic and the longer she gazed up at him, the more she wished his elder brother would make his appearance.

"Um, Inuyasha," she began, but was cut off when Inuyasha surged forward to kiss her. There was nothing gentle about this kiss and the way he hungrily devoured her mouth shot terror through her. Inuyasha had _never_ been one to take 'no' for an answer.

She tried to push him off, to squirm out of his smothering and painful embrace, but she was caught between his hard body and the steel body of her car. Her feeble movements only served to make him kiss her harder, and she felt his teeth cut her lip in his eagerness. For one insane moment, she almost bit his tongue in retaliation, but decided against that, for that might enrage him and Sesshoumaru was still nowhere around. Then what would she do when Inuyasha decided to take what he wanted from her anyway? It wasn't as though she could stop him from raping her, which no doubt was going to happen if ---

There was a menacing, growling sound coming somewhere from behind Inuyasha. In an instant, Inuyasha's lips and arms were gone and she could breathe again. When she looked up, she saw a frighteningly pissed off Sesshoumaru had his brother by the back of the neck and was holding him away from her. "Make your escape beloved, while I deal with him. Call me when you get home," he told her, trying very hard to keep the rage from his voice when speaking to her.

"Oi, Kagome!"

"Silence!" snarled the older man, tightening his grip on his flailing brother's neck.

As she watched Sesshoumaru marched a very subdued Inuyasha back into the house, Kagome sank against the side of her car and began to weep silently. A minute later, she was speeding away down the drive way as fast as she could, wiping away the blood from her lip with the back of her hand.

oooooooooooooooooooooo

When she got home, she saw the living room lights on and a strange car parked behind Hiro's. After parking her car in her side of the garage, she went inside the house. A couple of male voices were laughing and talking in the living room.

"Hello? Hiro?" she called, walking into the room where the voices were.

"Kagome, honey! I didn't hear you come in!" Hiro jumped up off the floor with a smile. "How was dinner, darli--? Kagome? What's wrong?" His eyes widened in concern when he saw the tears in her eyes, but froze when he saw her bottom lip. "Oh, my god, what happened to your mouth?"

Ignoring the unseen other man in the room, she threw herself into his arms. "Oh, Hiro!!" she cried into his shirt and wrapped her arms around his waist. "He wants to date me... he said that when he gets back in six months he wants to go out with me! And...and he wanted to be alone with me, but Sesshoumaru wouldn't let him and---!" She burst into tears, burying her face against him. "He kissed me and it hurt!"

Hiro's arms tightened around her trembling figure. "Kagome! Did Sesshoumaru stop him?" She nodded and he sighed with relief, but paused and thought over what she had just said. "Wait a minute. Did you say that Inuyasha will be gone for six months?"

Again she nodded and he grinned down at her. "But, Kagome, sweetheart, this is fantastic news! You'll have six months to find a decent man and--"

"Ahem."

Both Hiro and Kagome started. Hiro gave a nervous chuckle. "Oh yeah. Sorry, Kouga. Forgot you were here for a minute." He stepped back, allowing Kagome to see their visitor.

Kouga glared at Hiro through narrowed eyes then looked at Kagome, who stood very still with a bewildered look on her face. "Hiya, princess. Sorry to come over so late, but I... I just wanted to see you again." He smiled at her then and presented her with a courtly bow.

As Kagome watched him, her worry melted away and she couldn't help but smile back... and as before, she couldn't keep her eyes off of him. Kouga had recently bathed and changed his clothes. His shining black hair was slicked back but one rebellious lock kept falling into his eyes, no matter how often he tucked it behind his ear. When she went to hug him, she could smell the scent of his soap, shampoo and a light yet deliciously masculine cologne which clung to his skin and mingled with the detergent used on his clothes. And just like the night before, the scent he emitted made her mouth water. To her, this man was almost edible.

"Wow, you smell really nice," she murmured appreciatively, her face burning. 'Baka, Kagome! That's the understatement of the year!'

Blushing, Kouga laughed softly and took her hand. "Thank you." Looking over her head, he shot a haughty look at Hiro that said, 'Okay, you may go now.'

Hiro countered with a dark look that replied, 'Okay, I don't fucking think so.'

Kagome's cell phone rang and she ran upstairs to take Sesshoumaru's call and change while the two men glared at each other. Hiro turned on his heel and went to the kitchen, Kouga hot on his heels.

"Hiro? What gives?" Kouga asked, watching Hiro put some water in a tea kettle.

Hiro shot Kouga a look. "Do you seriously think I'm going to let you be _alone_ with her?" 

"You were fine with it this afternoon," Kouga pointed out, rummaging through the refrigerator for a snack and retrieved a bowlful of grapes.

"Yeah, that was because it was broad daylight and your buddies were around, too."

Kouga snorted as he looked over the fruit. "What? Do you think I'm going run away with her or something? I thought we were bonding pretty well a few minutes ago."

"Yes, we were, but its my job to screen Kagome's possible suitors." Hiro glared at Kouga again and set the kettle on the stove. "From what I know of your past history, I wouldn't put it past you to kidnap my baby girl."

"Man, I told you I wouldn't do something stupid like that. I'm not Yuki." Kouga plucked off one of the grapes and popped it into his mouth. "I _really_ like her," he muttered around a mouthful of grape. "She's different, which is exactly what I need and besides, my boys and I need a good female influence. We're just a buncha ruffians that need a woman's touch." He leaned back against the counter and smiled amicably at his host.

The brown haired man scowled at him. "That depends on _what_ you plan on having her touch, Kouga," Hiro grunted peevishly.

Laughing, Kouga ate another grape. "Damn, what a great sense of humor you have! I never knew you were such a comedian."

"Shut up."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

An hour after Kouga reluctantly decided to take his leave, Kagome was watching television in the living room huddled up in her ultra-soft, fluffy pink housecoat. Hiro was already in bed asleep.

Just as she let out a huge yawn, a soft knock came at the front door. Puzzled, Kagome uncurled herself from the couch and went to the door. Standing on tiptoe, she peered through the peephole and gasped. Swiftly, she unlocked the door and stepped back. "Sesshoumaru! What's happened? Are you okay?" she blurted out, clutching at the door. "Has something happened to Souta?"

Sesshoumaru was standing on the doorstep. He wore street clothes; jeans, t-shirt, boots and a leather jacket. His long, pale hair was pulled up into a ponytail that draped down over one leather-clad shoulder. Shaking his head, Sesshoumaru closed the door and locked it before removing his shoes. "I'm fine Kagome, and Souta is fine."

He took her hand and led her into the living room, sitting her down on the sofa. Continuing to hold her hand, he sat down beside her and fixed her with a steady gaze. She squirmed uncomfortably and turned her face away. Of course, he didn't let that slide and caught her chin with his fingertip, turning her face back to him.

"Kagome," he began quietly, "are you still ill?"

Her eyes opened wide. "Huh? Why do you think that?" Was he completely ignoring what Inuyasha had done to her tonight?

Gentle, molten eyes roamed over her face, studying her intently. "You weren't yourself tonight, little one," he replied sadly. He reached up to brush an errant lock back behind her ear. "You didn't eat very much either. You know I don't like it when you don't eat. Did you at least eat something when you came home?"

She nodded. "Hiro had made some soup earlier and he forced me to eat some of it." She pouted, her lower lip sticking out. "He said he figured that I probably wouldn't eat much, knowing that I would be having dinner with Inuyasha."

Kissing her on the forehead, Sesshoumaru chuckled softly. "That makes sense. You never _could_ eat properly with that one around, could you? Well, I'm thankful that Hiro is so perceptive _and_ that he made you eat. I was rather worried about you, my dear."

"You don't need to, Sesshoumaru, really. Anyway, how are you doing?" It was her turn to do the studying and did not like the worried look in his eyes. "Sesshoumaru! Oh no, did I upset you? I did, didn't I? I'm sorry..."

His arms went around her and he leaned over, eyes closed, to rest his cheek against her head. "Iie. It's fine, Kagome." He tightened his hold on her. "I just wondered... if I may stay with you tonight?" he whispered.

For her answer, she rose to her feet, her hand still in his and guided him up the stairs to her bedroom. Once there, he stripped down to his silk boxers and slid under the sheets beside her. She scooted back against him, reveling in the heat his body radiated and yawned deeply.

"You must have a big day planned tomorrow," she muttered drowsily. She smiled when she felt his lips in her hair.

"Mmm. Big one. Lots of meetings." Sesshoumaru, cuddling her to him, exhaled deeply, his warm breath ruffling her hair. "I'm sorry for what Inuyasha did to you, Kagome. It was unacceptable."

"Don't worry about it--"

"So I added another two months to his sentence and told him he couldn't get in contact with you until two months from now."

Her body stiffened in his embrace. "Eh! But Sesshoumaru! You didn't have to do that!" She squirmed a bit, ineffectively of course, then warily settled back down when his arm refused to budge. "Wasn't he furious?" she asked tentatively.

His body was the next to tense up. "Kagome... So, _that's_ what it was about then. Damn it, I should have known better." He shifted and Kagome turned her head over her shoulder to see Sesshoumaru staring down at her.

"Sweetheart, please forgive me. I should have realized that you would be frightened of seeing Inuyasha after I brought this punishment down on him. I'm so sorry, Kagome." He leaned down to kissed her mouth softly, chastely, before settling back into his original position behind her. "If I had thought for one second that he would think to retaliate against you, you know I would never allow him to be in the same room with you."

"I know, Sesshoumaru. But I shouldn't have been afraid at all, not with you around. You're always looking out for me, aren't you?" she asked, feeling sleep beginning to take hold.

Watching her curled up in his arms, Sesshoumaru felt her body grow limp. A moment later, her breathing began to deepen and he couldn't resist placing a light kiss on the side of her neck. "I always will, beloved," he whispered against the warm flesh.

'Damn, I love her so much,' he thought as he felt himself beginning to drift off. In his mind's eye, he could see her when she was the plump little shrine maiden with sweet rosy cheeks and enormous, shining brown eyes that scampered happily about her family's shrine. He loved her from the minute he first laid eyes on her so many years ago... and kept on loving her. That love grew even more so when she went through her darkest hours, when he thought he would lose her forever ... which was started by the devastation his little brother had so thoughtlessly wrought.

Ever since those terrible days when she lay near death in the hospital, his sleep pattern underwent a change. So now that every time he became worried about her health, his normal sleeping habit would be disturbed... in short, he suffered from insomnia. He would spend nights pacing restlessly in his bedroom, his mind in a tizzy from wondering if she would be okay.

But it was right after she had been released from hospital that he experienced the second worst week of his life since she nearly passed away. One sleepless night turned into two sleepless nights...then three...

After having gone without sleep for three days straight, he could take it no longer and he rushed over to her house in the middle of the night, worried out of his mind for her. He let himself into the new house he'd bought for her and went upstairs to check up on her.

She was fast asleep and in the pale moonlight that streamed in through her bedroom window, she looked as pale as death. Her face was so sunken in from malnutrition, so skull-like, that he dropped heavily to his knees beside her bed, pressed his face into the comforter and began to weep.

A tiny, fleeting sensation passed along the top of his head and he looked up. Kagome lay against her pillows, alarmingly waif-like, and was staring back at him, concern filling her large, expressive eyes. "Sesshoumaru? Daijobu?"

He stared at her for a long moment, then shook his head. "No. I'm not alright."

Kagome struggled weakly to sit up, but failed. "Why? Do you need anything? Tell me and I will--"

"No!" he cried and jumped to his feet. The effect of being without sleep for so long had taken its toll. _Never_ had he raised his voice to her. Fortunately, this would be the first and last time he would ever do so.

Instead of apologizing for his outburst, he glared down at her, wanting to shake her and tell her not to even _think_ about worrying for another person and to start eating again... "Fine! Do you know what I need, Kagome? Do you know what I truly need, right this second?"

Tears and fright had gathered in those lovely, dark pools and she shook her head weakly. "No, Sesshoumaru-sama. P-please tell me."

Dropping back to his knees, he groaned softly. "Kagome, what I need right now, more than anything in this whole world, is for you to get better. Okay? _That's_ what I need."

She watched him closely, her brows knitting over her confused eyes. "Why?"

That simple question rocked his entire world. _Why?_ She asked him _why_? Did she not know _why_? How could she even dare to think that way? "What kind of question is that?" he demanded. "Why do you ask _why_?"

"Um..."

"Enough!" He whirled around and went to the window to keep his eyes away from her before he said something to add fuel to his smouldering fury. Why was he so damned angry at her?

"We all love you, Kagome, that's _why_. Souta, me, your friends... and yes, even Inuyasha. He was devastated. We were all devastated when we very nearly lost you. Do you even realize how close you were to leaving us?" He turned back around and faced her angrily, his entire body trembling in his attempt to keep from yelling out of frustration. "Your heart nearly gave out on you, Kagome. They had to recusitate you... Have you any idea how terrified we all were? We could have lost you."

Turning her face away from him, she began to cry and Sesshoumaru felt even more of a heel than ever. Resuming his kneeling position beside her bed, he took one of her too-thin hands in his and held it as delicately as he could against his cheek. "Please don't cry, little one," he managed thickly, "I didn't mean to upset you. It's just that... how you could think that we wouldn't have cared if you had died? That hurts me to hear you say something like that." He noticed that her sobbing had died down a little and she had cocked an attentive ear towards him. "It would hurt Souta, too, right? Sango and Miroku? How about Hiro?"

He very tactfully left out Inuyasha's name and thankfully, she didn't seem to notice. She turned back to face him and held out her thin arms to him. "I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru! I didn't mean to upset you or anyone else! Please forgive me..."

He was in bed beside her before she could say another word and wrapped his arms tightly around her. "You have nothing to ask forgiveness for, little one," he breathed in her ear. "You've done nothing wrong. Just... just don't let yourself end up like this again, okay? Please. I don't know what I'd do without the little girl who makes me so happy."

Choking back a tiny laugh, she wept a little bit more and he let her, all the while stroking her hair and rocked her gently. Soon, the weeping ceased and she snuggled up against his chest, where she soon fell asleep. As he hugged her emaciated little frame to him, he thanked his stars that he didn't have the courage to tell her that he totally blamed himself for her condition.

He should have seen it coming... but he didn't.

After all she'd been through--- her mother dying, then his father and top of that, working full time to pay for college on top of taking classes full time, then dealing with the aftermath of Inuyasha's cruel insensitivity and Hiro's leaving her for college in another part of the country--- he hadn't _once _thought to keep a better eye on her, to make sure she was doing okay. Of course, during this time he was learning about his father's company and later on, he'd had to take over following his father's sudden death...

But for all the stress he was under, he still should have taken the time to see how she was doing and through his lack of attentiveness...

He ran an extremely profitable company, making money hand over fist, oversaw thousands of employees and remembered pertinent information about every single one of them and even recalled most of their names. But he couldn't keep tabs on a mere slip of a girl who was working herself to death because he neglected to tell her that his father already had money set aside for her college tuition just so she _wouldn't_ have to work.

_He should have known better... he should have watched her more closely._

Because that was what a guardian does right? They watch over and guard the ones they love, keep them from harm. What a pitiful, pathetic job he had done. His father would have been ashamed.

Amazingly, it was not long after this when Sesshoumaru, after three long, sleepless nights, felt the blessed sensation of sleep beginning to weigh down on him.

From then on, if he wished to forgo the sleeping pills his doctor prescribed him whenever she fell ill and he couldn't sleep because of it, Sesshoumaru would go to Kagome and lie in her bed next to her. Her very presence soothed his worried mind and troubled soul, allowing sleep to come to him naturally and often, quickly. He had even gone so far as to call her his 'little cure'.

Right now, the little cure had turned in her sleep and pressed her face into his bare chest. The warm breath that escaped from her nostrils tickled his sensitive skin and he moved her, shifting her up so that she breathed just below his neck instead. He didn't mind that; in fact, he loved it. He enjoyed the feeling of shivers running up and down his spine knowing they were caused by her.

Hiro had once asked him why didn't he just marry Kagome himself? After all, no one loved Kagome more than Sesshoumaru did. No one had ever done so much for her as he had done. So what was the problem?

Sesshoumaru told him that the answer was quite simple. Kagome did not want him or think of him in that way. Yes, she loved him, there was no mistaking that, but she was not in love with him. She just had never shown any interest in him and merely regarded him as a big brother

"If she lets me know she is interested in me in a romantic sense, I would be more than honored and would of course, court her accordingly. But until that time, I will not pursue her, no matter how much I desperately wish to," he told Hiro.

For now, holding her like this would just have to do. He knew that if she chose someone else, he would most likely never marry. His love for her was just too great to share with another woman. To see her marry someone else would be heartwrenchingly painful, but he took some comfort in knowing that she would never agree to be Inuyasha's wife. The boy could take her out all he wanted, but she would never love him. At least, when she was in trouble, it was to her doting guardian that she would turn and that made Sesshoumaru happy, knowing that she still needed him in her life. Perhaps one day, she would allow him to become something more to her... _like her husband._

With that wonderful, warming thought, his eyes gave up the struggle to stay open. The last thing he saw before slipping into a deep, healing sleep, was her sweet, angelic face... so close to his.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Chapter 9

When Kagome woke up, Sesshoumaru was gone. She had a vague recollection of him getting out of bed, then of him standing over her, smiling softly and murmuring a gentle farewell. Faintly, she recalled smiling back at him and mumbling a goodbye of her own while lifting her arms out to him. She felt safe and warm as his arms closed around her and then there was light pressure on her forehead. A hug and a kiss, she thought happily, getting out of bed, from someone who adored her. Such a lovely way to wake up, knowing that she was loved, especially by such an important man as her guardian. She couldn't have asked for anything better.

Upon returning to her room after taking a shower, she heard her phone go off. She picked up the phone and looked to see who it was. "I didn't get see you off," she said with a smile, heading for her closet.

A deep chuckle filled her ear and she grinned. Sesshoumaru had such a beautiful voice. "I didn't want to wake you anymore than I had to," he said. "Thank you for letting me stay last night."

"Anytime. Don't tell me they let you out of a meeting already? It's not even ten yet. What's the world coming to?" she laughed, browsing through her clothes for something to wear.

"I know," he sighed tragically. "But it's not meant to last. This is only a short break away from my leash, I'm afraid. I _thought_ I would remember to ask you this last night, but what would you like to do for our little appointment tomorrow?"

"Hmm." Kagome emerged from the closet, clothes in hand. She hated making decisions and Sesshoumaru knew this full well, which was exactly why he was making her choose.

Sesshoumaru didn't like the silence on her end. "By the way, you _will_ be eating and since Inuyasha is no longer around, there will be no excuse _not_ to eat. Do I make myself clear?" he told her in his most imposing voice.

"Hai." Trembling slightly, she laughed nervously. "I... I don't know what I want to do, Sesshoumaru. That's tomorrow. If I tell you I want to do something today, I might not want to do it tomorrow."

He chuckled. "You have a point, little one. Okay, then let's just stick to something simple. Is there a restaurant you've wanted to try? Any place in Tokyo, your choice."

Kagome looked down at the clothes she'd picked and a painful memory flooded into her brain. Her clothes. They weren't very stylish at all, like much of the clothing she owned. Maybe she shouldn't go out at all, but make him dinner here instead. Where should they go? Knowing Sesshoumaru as she did, he preferred classy, sophisticated restaurants so she should pick something he would like...

What would she wear? There was that pretty pink dress she'd bought when she went out with Inuyasha, but she'd put it away in the back of her closet, wrapped in plastic. She couldn't very well wear that dress again, especially after all that happened on her disastrous date. If it hadn't been for her, they wouldn't have been thrown out. Maybe she should give it away, to some charity. After all, it had only been worn once and --

"Kagome? Are you okay?"

The panic in her guardian's voice and the sound of a chair falling to the floor brought Kagome out of her jumbled thoughts. Hurriedly she assured him she was fine. "Gomen ne. Um, perhaps I can make you some dinner here, Sesshoumaru?"

"I suppose so," he answered slowly, almost suspiciously. "But I'd rather have you get out of the house for awhile." He was silent for a moment then asked abruptly, "Are you _positive_ you're not ill?"

"I'm not ill, I swear," she answered, sitting down on the bed.

"Then what is it? I'll leave these damned meetings to come see you if I have to."

"No! Please, that's not necessary! It's just that... well... I don't have anything new to wear."

Tension gave way to an amused, relieved sigh. "Darling! Is that all? You should have told me--"

Kagome bowed her head while her fingers picked at the faded blue jeans. "I don't want to embarrass you," she murmured quietly, wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her free hand.

Sesshoumaru's laughter instantly evaporated. "You have _never_ embarrassed me, Kagome. Why do you think you that? Did someone tell you that?"

"No."

"Then?"

"I don't know. Just all of a sudden I feel... I feel..."

"What, Kagome? Tell me. What do you feel?"

She shook her head, forgetting that he couldn't see it. "It's nothing, Sesshoumaru. I'm being silly." She attempted a small laugh, but Sesshoumaru was far from convinced.

"I'm coming over there right now," he said in a carefully controlled voice, "and you _will_ tell me. If someone has been rude to you or made you cry, you will tell me and I will make them pay. Stay right where you are." This being said, he hung up.

Kagome lowered the phone. She shouldn't have said anything at all. To be honest, it was Yuki who made her feel miserable. He was so cruel, especially to Hiro, who didn't deserve to be tormented by his own brother. True, it hurt when Yuki said ugly things to her, but it hurt Hiro to hear them, which made her feel doubly bad. If it hadn't been for her, Hiro wouldn't be treated like that.

It was all her fault. All of it. She knew Yuki had only pretended to go after her to piss Inuyasha off. He'd never _really_ want someone like her. He was far too handsome and fashionable to pursue a woman with hardly any taste in clothes. After all, it was Hiro who had picked out the pretty pink dress and the shoes. But she'd done her own hair, she thought with a tiny spark of pride... which died immediately when she remembered the date all over again. Her first real date with a guy and it had gone completely wrong, but at least her clothes hadn't been a source of embarrassment for him.

She remembered that day when Hiro threw Yuki out of the house and told him never to come back. Yuki had said such horrible things to her that he made her weep like the weak woman that she was. He had told her that such a wealthy, respected man like Sesshoumaru must be embarrassed to be seen in public with her. Everytime he saw her, Yuki had coldly informed her, she was dressed in garments that would never be acceptable in the high-class society that Sesshoumaru belonged to. Whatever she wore would never be good enough. _She _would never be good enough.

Hearing those words hurt. A lot. She knew she shouldn't believe him, but... what if he was right? What if she _did_ embarrass Sesshoumaru by her appearance? He'd often offered to take her shopping for clothes, usually to expensive boutiques that she'd never shop at otherwise. She preferred shopping at places with affordable prices. It was bad enough having to rely on Sesshoumaru for everything, but she wouldn't go on a spending spree with his hard-earned money and she definitely couldn't tell him that she wanted to get a job because he'd put a stop to that right quick. She'd already tried that once and he had very firmly, albeit gently, told her _no way. _

So, she thought, feeling misery sweep over her, _that's_ why he kept asking her. Her current wardrobe wasn't good enough even though she saved him money shopping at discount stores. It all made sense now. Whenever he would take her to a fancy restaurant on their Wednesday appointments, he'd bring her an expensive-looking dress to wear with shoes to match. He'd always told her that since she never wanted to go buy herself pretty dresses, he did it for her. He said he wanted to see her in clothes that enhanced her beauty.

But what if that wasn't true? What if his only purpose was to get her to look more presentable when she went out with him?

_Was_ Yuki right after all?

oooooooooooooooooo

Sesshoumaru found her huddled up in her closet, staring absently at the row of plastic covered evening gowns that he'd bought for her but never wore more than once. Her cheeks were wet with tears; her eyes were red and swollen from crying.

"Sweetheart!" he cried softly, dropping to his knees beside her.

She said nothing, only turning her head to hide her face from him. He scooped her up in his arms, carrying her out of the closet. He went over to her bed and sat down, where he situated her on his lap and attempting to get her to talk to him. While he was doing that, Hiro padded sleepily into the room, a toothbrush sticking out of his mouth and foam covering his lips. "Oi, Kagome, what's all the -- Sesshoumaru!" The brush came shooting out of his mouth and skidded across the carpet, . "Crap! Sorry!" he cried, dashing forward to reclaim his errant dental equipment. "What's going on? Is Kagome sick again?" Hurriedly, he wiped the foam from his mouth with the towel that hung around his neck.

Checking her forehead, Sesshoumaru shook his head. "No. I came over to see how she was doing because she was acting strangely on the phone." He looked over at Hiro. "Tell me, has something happened to her or has someone been cruel to her? She told me that she didn't want to embarrass me, but she knows I never would be with her."

Kagome hid her face against his chest as Sesshoumaru rocked her gently. Damn, he hated to see her in pain.

Hiro felt his stomach knot up and plummet to the soles of his bare feet. 'Oh crap,' he thought, knowing instantly that was Yuki's doing. The bastard had managed to wreak even more damage to an already damaged young woman in such a short period of time. Should he give up his brother as the culprit?

"No, Sesshoumaru. It's nothing." Kagome stirred a little out of her silence and tried to squirm out of his embrace. He released her without an argument. "I'm just feeling a bit down right now. I'm sorry. You shouldn't have left your meetings for me. Its not that big a deal, really."

She slid off his lap and began to walk away, but Sesshoumaru grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. His yellow gaze fixed her steadily. "But that's where you're wrong, Kagome. It _is_ a big deal. To me, it is. Now I want you to tell me where you got this foolish notion that you're an embarrassment to me. Did someone tell you this?"

"Sesshoumaru--"

"Tell me," he commanded.

Looking down at her feet, Kagome shook her head. She felt like a naughty child who had been called before an admonishing parent to receive punishment. "It just popped into my head. My clothes... well, you've always wanted to take me shopping for clothes and I... just wondered... if maybe it was really because my clothes weren't good enough for me to be seen with you. Like, in public." She shifted her feet nervously. "I don't like asking you for money for clothes because you already spend so much on me..." She trailed off.

There was a long, heavy moment of silence as Sesshoumaru's hard gaze studied her downcast face. "_Kagome_," he began in an ominous tone that turned the very marrow in Hiro's bones to ice, "_where on earth did you hear that?_" The smoothness of Sesshoumaru's voice never once changed, but the warmth had completely vanished. Hiro could almost swear the temperature in the room dropped by several degrees.

And Hiro was not the only one 'touched' by the elder man's voice. Kagome, too, began to tremble under her guardian's hard, unwavering gaze.

"S-sesshoumaru..."

Sesshoumaru was on his feet before either Hiro or Kagome could let out a startled squeak. He went to Kagome's closet, there was a sound of rustling and he emerged a moment later with a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Handing them to her, he grabbed Hiro by the collar of his flannel pajama shirt and dragged him from the room. Before he shut the door, he turned to look at his stunned ward.

"You will get dressed this instant, Kagome and then come down stairs, where I will be waiting _impatiently_ for your arrival. You will then accompany me from this house. Is that understood?"

"But Sesshoumaru! What for? Where are we going?"

His answer was the firmly closing of her bedroom door behind him.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

When she finally arrived downstairs, she saw Hiro nodding to Sesshoumaru before giving him a low bow. Her guardian eyed her up and down with approval, she felt, and held out his hand to her. Naturally, she allowed him to take her hand and he led her out the front door and to his car.

As they backed out of her driveway, she finally got up the courage to ask what was going on. He remained silent for the next few moments and she could sense him trying to keep his cool. With a sigh, she turned to look at him.

"Gomen nasai."

He gave her a look out of the corner of his eye. "For what reason?"

She looked out of her passenger side window and shook her head. "For being a bother." It was barely above a whisper, but he heard it all the same.

It took all his will power not to slam on the brakes and force her to face him. He hated when she couldn't look him in the eye, like she was guilty of something... or worse! _Of hiding something from him!_ The idea didn't bother him often, but when it did, like when she was losing weight and claiming to be eating enough, oh man! That very thought alone was enough to keep him up nights.

Pushing back the desire to scream his frustration about whoever was putting such lies into her little head, he reached over and grabbed her hand, covering it with his own. This startled Kagome, who shot him a surprised look.

"Beloved, you could _never_ be a bother to me, nor an embarrassment. You never have been. But it bothers me that there is someone out there vicious enough to you to tell you such filthy lies."

"But--"

"But nothing. You can't hide anything from me, my girl. I'll leave this subject be for the moment, because I know you won't give up the sleazy bastard's name. But know this, when I find out who he is, I'll have him hunted down like the foul beast that he is and then his ass is mine."

Kagome watched with a mixture of horror and wonder as the dark emotions that danced across his face suddenly vanished when he turned to look at her, giving her the happiest smile she'd ever seen.

"Um, where are you taking me?" she inquired nervously. His smile looked odd to her eyes. It was almost predatorial. Never had his teeth looked so sharp and white before. Like fangs...

Sesshoumaru managed to interlace his fingers with hers and sat their hands on his thigh that was closest to her. "You'll see, and darling? This time, you can't turn down my offer to take you shopping. Okay?"

Nodding, Kagome sank back against her seat. Her gaze was fixed on Sesshoumaru, who had turned his attention back on the road ahead of them. The queer smile had vanished, thank kami, but his face now held nothing at all. She knew that something was going on behind the beautiful mask of his face, but she daren't ask him, for she had a feeling that it was something that should be left alone.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Yuki had it all planned out. Today, he would go ask Kagome to go out with him. It would all be so easy. All he needed to do was to try to be one of those 'gentlemen' things. He knew what they were because he looked them up on the internet.

Staring at his reflection in his brightly lit bathroom mirror, Yuki sighed. He supposed he would _have_ to be nice to her in order to get wanted to get what he wanted from her. What a pain.

Reluctantly moving away from the vanity, Yuki took one last look at his image in the mirror... only to return a moment later, stone-washed jeans and a woodsy brown polo shirt in his hands.

He dressed, like he always did, watching himself in the mirror. Yuki loved looking at his reflection; he just couldn't help it. His face was so pretty; his body, so sexy and sleek.

As he smoothed his shirt down over his trim abdomen, Yuki smiled at himself. He had been blessed with such equisite good looks that it almost seemed unfair to have to unleash it upon the hapless world every single day. _Almost._

He laughed. Well, whatever. Kagome would agree to go out with him today and he would do like that loser, Inuyasha, and demand that she wear something of his choosing. Being such a weak-minded creature, Kagome would no doubt do as he asked. Yuki supposed that was the only thing he really liked about her. Sometimes he liked his women subserviant to him. After all, weren't women supposed to serve men?

Of course, Kagome wasn't allowed to wear the gorgeous pink thing she wore last week on her failed date with Inuyasha. Pity. It really _was_ a lovely gown. However, the dress for _their_ date she would have to buy would need to be in emerald green, so as to match his eyes.

Yes, she would need to wear something green and satiny. He loved smooth, shiny surfaces for they reminded him of his body after rubbing aromatic oils on his skin after a long, relaxing bath.

Now for the finishing touches...

After checking for the third time that he smelled awesome, Yuki ran his fingers through the sun-kissed silk that adorned his head. When it lay exactly how he liked it, he stepped back and again admired himself. Damn, what a sexy devil.

With a saucy wink at his reflection, he left the bathroom to retrieve his car keys, wallet and cell phone.

While driving out of the parking garage, a thought struck Yuki. Perhaps he should call ahead and let Hiro know he was coming over? He didn't want his brother to get mad at him again.

As he mulled this over, the traffic light ahead changed to red and he slowed his expensive import to a stop. Off to the right, his gaze caught sight of a young woman with long black hair wearing a red dress and sashaying along the sidewalk. From what he could see, she had an incredible body.

Yuki shifted slightly in his seat to get a better look and suddenly, asking whatsername out was unimportant. Ahead, the light changed and he slid the car forward. Just as he was reaching for the button to lower his driver side window, the girl with the hot body turned suddenly and grinned at him, sending him a flirtatious wink.

He smiled back...then froze. His foot immediately stepped on the accelerator, shooting his car forward and away from that creature with the adam's apple.

'Oh, kami!' he thought, sickened, heart racing sickeningly in his chest. He had been about to holler at a man!

When he had recovered somewhat, Yuki grabbed his cell phone and dialed Kagome's number. She had thankfully popped back into his head the moment he realized the true sex of the guy in the scarlet dress.

It was Hiro who answered. "Moshi-moshi?" The voice sounded a bit distracted.

"Oi, Hiro. Thought you had caller id on that phone."

There was a short silence then, "Huh? Yuki? That you?"

"Yes. What's wrong with you?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing."

"Hiro," began Yuki, warningly.

An exasperated sigh. "Fine, you nosy parker. I just got an email from this girl I went to college with. Apparently, she had a crush on me and would like to go out sometime, since she moved here to Tokyo due to a job offer."

Yuki was astonished. Hiro? His baby brother? Having a girl friend? "That's great, little brother! Is she hot?"

Hiro groaned. "Kami-sama willing, you will _never_ find out."

The elder brother grinned. "Ouch. Fine, _be_ cruel to me, Hiro. I'll get to meet her one day, just wait and see."

"No thanks. I don't want her to end up like Kagome, being scarred for life because of you. What do you want?"

"A date. With Kagome. Any other questions?"

"Um..."

"I'm coming over right now, so make her presentable for me. Of course I'll have to inspect her so as to make sure she won't embarrass me when we're in public together." He glanced in the rearview mirror to recheck his appearance. Yep, still hot...

Hiro cleared his throat. "Excuse me, but you didn't let me ask my question."

"Oh. Go ahead then, Hiro."

"That's better. Now then, what makes _you_ think you're worthy to take Kagome out? All you've ever done was insult her and make her cry."

It was Yuki's turn to sigh. "Now see here, little brother, it isn't _my_ fault that the girl can't take a little criticism." He merged onto the highway as Hiro began making odd, high-pitched noises. "Doshita no, Hiro? Are you choking?" he asked callously, knowing full well his brother _wasn't_ choking.

"_Cr-criticism!"_ Hiro exploded.

Yuki winced at the noise. "Yes, they were just simple observations on her poor appearance..."

"You... dirty... bastard! You made her cry!"

"Yes, yes, Hiro. I would cry too if I was clad in a grubby housecoat and looked as if I hadn't seen the sun in weeks."

There was dead silence for so long that Yuki thought Hiro had hung up on him again. But the labored breathing of the enraged younger man kept him from closing his phone.

"You... you... callous, cold-blooded, heartless..._ scum-sucking bottom feeder!_" he sputtered furiously. _"KAGOME WAS SICK, YOU ASSHOLE!" _

Clicking his tongue, Yuki slowly shook his head, careful not to mess up his hair. "Hiro! That was mean and unnecessary. Where ever did you learn to be so rude?"

"I'm _your_ brother! Where else do you _think_ I got it?" Hiro pointed out ruthlessly.

"Oh yeah." He steered his car off the exit ramp. "But she knew I was coming that day. She could have at least made an effort to--"

"Do _not_ come over," Hiro ground out viciously before hanging up.

A puzzled frown flitted briefly over Yuki's face, but it vanished long before he pulled into Kagome's driveway.

The front door was opened, as usual, by Hiro, who sported a bright pink visage and a decidedly hostile manner. He glared at Yuki before attempting to slam the door in his face.

Yuki's arm shot out and stopped Hiro in mid-slam. "Oi, I'm getting a little tired of you shutting things in my face, Hiro." He pushed his way in and shut the door behind him. Lazily, he leaned back against the door and stared hard at his brother's face. "Go upstairs and retrieve her."

Instead of throwing another tantrum, Hiro's face brightened up and he gave Yuki a suspiciously cheerful smile. Watching the blonde man's tensing facial muscles, Hiro decided not to keep him wondering what was going on, although it would be funny to watch.

"She's not here."

"What do you mean she's not here?"

"I mean she's not here," Hiro repeated, inwardly delighting in Yuki's obvious disappointment.

"Well, where is she?" Yuki asked, trying not to lose his patience.

"Kagome," Hiro said, walking away towards the living room, "is out. She went shopping."

Now Yuki really _was_ suspicious. "Without you?" he asked incredulously.

Sitting down on the sofa, Hiro grabbed the remote and clicked a button, making the sound come on. "If you don't mind, I'd like to watch my show now."

"Damn it, Hiro!" blurted Yuki when he could no longer contain himself. The desire to not lose patience with his infuriating little brother was slithering away.

Without looking up, Hiro replied with a heavy sigh, "Yes, without me. I know it's more than your vain little mind can handle, but Kagome _can_ survive out in the world without me."

"Why is she shopping? What's the occasion? What is she going to buy? Did someone go with her?"

It was Hiro's turn to look incredulous and turned surprised eyes on his brother. "My my, so many questions there, Yuki. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were just a _wee bit _jealous. What's that about? Don't tell me you've finally fallen for my baby girl, because I hate to tell you that you'll need to get in line."

Crossing his arms over his chest and looking like a pouting child, Yuki sank down on the sofa beside his brother. "Don't be absurd. I don't care about Inuyasha or any other guy who could possibly have an interest in her," he muttered sulkily. After a moment, he seemed to have pulled himself together and dug into his pocket for his cigarette case. "This has nothing to do with him or anyone else. Besides, I know I'll easily slip to the head of the line. I'm not a loser like Inuyasha, after all. Uncouth men like him rarely get the girl."

As Yuki lit up, Hiro reached over to grab the glass ashtray off of the coffee table and handed it to his brother. "For once, you are correct. At least, where Inuyasha is concerned is, you are. This _doesn't_ have anything to do with Inuyasha. He was sent to Kagoshima for several months to work at the branch office there. Sesshoumaru informed me that Inuyasha wasn't allowed to contact Kagome for two months." He sat back against the cushions and regarded his handsome blond brother steadily. "Man, older brothers can be really harsh to their younger siblings."

Yuki's head turned just so, allowing him to give Hiro a dirty look out of the side of one frosty green eye. "Well, if the younger siblings would do as they were told and not be so incredibly hard-headed, their lives would be much, _much_ easier."

Hiro narrowed his brown eyes. "Kagome is going out on a date in the near future, and it won't be with you. I'll even give you a clue. It won't be with Inuyasha."

The fair man choked on his cigarette smoke and swung around to stare stupidly at Hiro. "She's going out? With who? Where are they going? What day? What time? And what kind of a clue is _that?_"

"Damn, aren't you the nosy one today. But seriously, you must be mad if you honestly _think_ I'll tell you anything."

"If you love me, Hiro, you'll tell me everything."

Hiro stared at his brother for a moment in silence before bursting into gut-wrenching laughter. After a full minute of guffaws, Hiro wiped his eyes and grew serious once more. "What for?" he asked, trying to catch his breath. "So you'll ruin yet another meal for her? Give me a break, Yuki. I don't have to tell _you_ a damned thing. You're only a heartless bastard who wants to tear her apart after you deflower her."

Those words startled Yuki and he stubbed out his cigarette. "Hiro," he began, but Hiro waved a dismissive hand at him.

"Save it. It wasn't hard to figure out what you wanted from her. That was the easy part. She's a virgin and those are hard to find, right? What I don't understand is why you've got it in for her. So she's a challenge to you because she doesn't fall at your feet with love-stricken adoration for you. But so what? Kagome has only ever been kind to you, Yuki. Yet you keep trying to go after her, not because you like her which is pretty evident by the way you speak to her, but because you have some sort of vendetta against her. She's done nothing to you, Yuki."

The elder brother relaxed back against the sofa and smiled at Hiro, who felt a shiver run through him. To Hiro, that smile looked positively reptilian.

"So? So what if I want a taste of her untouched female flesh? It's been a while since I last had anything of the sort. I'm due for another one." He took a thought drag off of his cigarette.

Repulsed, Hiro got up quickly and sat in another chair. "You disgust me, Yuki. You're so cold-blooded. Why are you like this? You know, if you continue on treating Kagome so poorly, I'll have to tell Sesshoumaru about it. You'll never see her again but I'll be happy about that. He'll fix it so you'll never have a chance to look at her again."

"Good, you do that." Yuki tapped ash in his glass container. "Besides, I've changed my mind now. The girl is incredibly annoying and she's way too gauche for an exquisite man like myself." Setting the ashtray on the coffee table, he got up to leave. "She is far too much trouble."

The phone rang and Hiro, looking at the caller id, smiled broadly and answered it. "Moshi-moshi, Kagome! Did you find anything yet?"

Upon hearing the girl's name, Yuki stopped abruptly and turned around, almost expectantly. Hiro chuckled softly and tucked his legs beneath him on the sofa. "I see. Well, peach and green both look good on you, beloved... uh huh. But which one do _you_ like best?" He laughed. "No thanks, darling. Trust me, I don't think I'd want to be caught dead in an emerald colored gown, even if it _is_ Versace."

Watching his brother, Yuki frowned. It seemed to him that his brother was doing this deliberately to provoke him for Hiro went blithely on, seemingly unaware of the temper that was brewing nearby.

"Well, honey, did you ask for an opinion? Uh huh. So what was the verdict? Oh." Hiro laughed again. "Can't decide which one looks better, huh? Well, did you guys take a vote? Oh, I see. Hmm, I guess a tie-breaker is needed then. Aww, sweetie, all you had to do was ask me. You know I don't mind seeing you in sexy evening gowns." He got slowly to his feet. "Where did you guys go? Oh, okay, yeah I know where that is. Sure, baby. Be there in awhile. Hey, look for something in red, too. You look really hot in red." After he hung up, Hiro turned to his brother. "Now, if you don't mind--"

"I _do_ mind, actually," Yuki broke in quietly.

"-- I have to get dressed and go out to assist my poor princess." Hiro frowned. "Huh? What did you say?"

"Nothing. Look, I'll take you to her," offered Yuki, but Hiro shook his dark head.

"Um, thanks, but no thanks. I'm a big boy, Yuki. I can drive myself," he told his brother as he headed for the stairs.

The tall, tow-headed man stared at his brother's retreating back. Should he follow him to wherever he would be going?

ooooooooooo

Hiro made it to the mall, all the time knowing that Yuki had decided to shadow him anyway. He sighed as he got out of his car. His brother was such a pain in the ass. Even now the blond menace was attempting to hide behind a pair of expensive shades and his steering wheel. Well, if he was driving a different car and wearing a baseball cap to hide that mop of bright yellow hair then perhaps he'd blend in a bit more...

It took him about 15 minutes to walk to the boutique Kagome and Sesshoumaru were at, while also trying to lose his brother in the crowd. He wasn't particularily successful in that regard. Yuki was impossible to shake, damn him.

When he finally found the two, Sesshoumaru was on the phone while Kagome was studying her peach silk-clad reflection in the full-size mirror.

The businessman waved a hand at him as he closed his phone. "Hiro, glad you could make it. Listen, I have to get back to the office. Those idiots can't make a decision without me, it seems. Take care of my girl." He patted Hiro on the back before turning to Kagome. "I still say the green one, beloved, but this is your gown. Whichever one you choose is fine with me. You look ravishing in both." He leaned down to kiss her cheek. "I'll call you as soon as I get out of my meetings. Here's my credit card. Get whatever you need. Hiro, make sure she gets what she needs, okay? _No matter what it is_."

Staring hard at Hiro, Sesshoumaru mouthed, "Get the green one, too."

Stifling a chuckle, Hiro nodded in understanding. Sesshoumaru gave him a short nod in return and ruffled her hair, before he turned and walked away out of the store.

Kagome watched Sesshoumaru wistfully before looking over at her friend. "Well? What do you think?" She twirled the peach tinted fabric about her slim legs. "I like this one better, but Sesshoumaru liked the green more."

Removing the green dress from its hanger, she laid it against the front of her body so Hiro could see. "It's very pretty, don't you think?"

Hiro nodded enthusiastically, his hands going to the dress that lay against her. "Mmm. Beautiful. They both look lovely on you, my dear. Hmm." He stepped back, taking the green gown with him. "The peach one. That's the one for you, Kagome." His dark eyes skimmed over her. "We'll need some new shoes, of course, and a handbag to match. Oh, and lets not forget the jewelry." He grinned at her.

The young woman paled. "Jewelry? But that's unnecessary, Hiro. I can wear something simple that I already have. There's no need to spend anymore of Sesshoumaru's money."

"Darling! I thought you knew by now. Your guardian is loaded. He could buy this mall and everything in it with the spare change in his pocket, okay? That's how bloody rich he is. Now no more stalling. He wants to buy you nice things that will make you happy and clothes that will make you look gorgeous."

Seeing her guilt-stricken little face, Hiro enfolded her in warm embrace. "Now don't you dare cry, Kagome. He _wants_ to spend money on you. Do you know, he spends less on you than he does with Souta and Inuyasha?" Pressing his lips to her hair, he went on. "Indulge him once in awhile, okay? He just wants to see your pretty little face light up with joy."

Nodding slowly, Kagome pulled away from him and Hiro laughed. "I said, _he just wants to see your pretty little face light up with joy_."

Kagome frowned and stuck her tongue out at him. "You've got to give me a minute, okay? Sheesh."

Hiro laughed and went off to look for more gowns for his reluctant princess, leaving her alone to stare at her reflection.

"Oi, Kagome!"

Turning, she saw Kouga and his two friends heading her way. "Kouga-kun!" she cried happily in greeting.

He jogged over to her, but paused when he saw what she was wearing. The look of open adoration in his eyes caused her to blush crazily and bow her head. "Wow, you look... incredible!" he breathed, taking her hands in his as his eyes looked her up and down.

The blushed deepened under his bright blue gaze. "Arigato, Kouga-kun."

"I hope you're gonna take this one. It really suits you." He reached out to touch the fabric. "Whaddya think, boys? Should Kagome buy this dress?"

Ginta and Hakkaku held up their thumbs in a show of approval. "Get it, Kagome-neesan. It makes your skin glow," Ginta said with a gentle smile. His brother nodded with a smile of his own.

From where he was, Hiro could see and hear the little exchange clearly. He chuckled softly. Kagome's face was very nearly tomato red as the three men looked her over appreciatively. Well, she'd better get used to all the compliments. He had a feeling that things would change for Kagome really soon... starting with the tall, black-haired man who couldn't keep his blue eyes off of her.

There was definitely a relationship coming up in the horizon for his best friend whether she was ready for it or not.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Yuki stormed out of the mall. Damn Kouga and his brainless sidekicks! Why did they have to show up now? Here? What was wrong with the world? Why was everything suddenly going against him? Damn everybody and everything...damn it...

He got to his car and drove off, still fuming. Before this bloody day was over, he would get her alone and demand she go out with him. He didn't care why at this point; all he wanted was to get her into his bed and be done with it. There was no way he was going to be bested by one little girl.

A few hours later, he finally succeeded in getting a hold of her. 'Lucky break,' he thought when he heard her answer.

"Hey, Kagome," he said in his smoothest voice. "How've you been?"

There was an uncomfortable silence on her end for a moment before she answered him. "I'm... fine, thank you, Yuki-sama. I'm afraid Hiro is in the shower right now, though--"

"I wasn't calling for him."

"I see. Then--"

He smirked. "I was calling for you."

Another small stretch of silence. "Um... okay. What may I do for you then?"

The smirk slid into a wide, almost frightful grin. "Well, since you put it that way... I want you to go out with me."

She gasped in surprise. "Yuki-sama?"

"Yes, you heard me correctly. How's tonight sound?"

"I... I can't tonight. Hiro and I... we've made plans already."

"Tomorrow night, then," he said without skipping a beat.

Kagome sighed. "I can't tomorrow night. I have... an appointment." Her voice sounded furtive and it made him frown.

"What appointment?" he asked, trying very hard to hide the irritation in his voice. "Can't you break it? Surely it can't be _that_ important."

"Iie! I can't break it, Yuki-sama! Never! I--"

The phone was wrenched from Kagome's grasp and Yuki heard Hiro's outraged voice on the line. "You... dirty sneak! I should have known you'd try to get a hold of her. What? Are you lying in wait outside in the bushes or something and peeking through the curtains?" There was a rustle of fabric, indicating that Hiro was checking to see if anyone was outside.

"Heh. Silence, brother. At least she told me something that you should have imparted to me. I know when her little date is."

"Well, that's fine, Yuki. But at least I had the pleasure of hearing her _turn you down._"

Yuki shut his phone angrily on Hiro's raucous laughter.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Chapter 10

Once at the restaurant, Yuki and his elegantly clad date were immediately ushered to their table. While his date perused the menu, Yuki's mind began to drift off and for a second he could almost see Kagome sitting across the table from him instead of the intensely attractive college girl he'd picked up from his nightclub. It _would_ have been Kagome, if she hadn't turned him down.

He still couldn't believe what happened. She actually turned _him_ down! Him, of all people! He'd never been so insulted in his life! No one turned him down. _Ever._

After this very first rejection, he soothed his wounded soul at his club where he drowned himself in liquor and found this lovely young thing who was more than willing to go out with him. By the end of the night, he was feeling pretty damn good. Kagome didn't know what she was missing.

But now, the good feeling he'd had since the night before was gone and he had to refrain from grabbing the table and chunking it across the restaurant in frustration. Why didn't Kagome say yes? The meaning behind her refusal was completely beyond his comprehension.

Taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm his nerves, his eyes slid over to a couple who had just come in and his heart froze. He had no trouble recognizing the pair. In fact, it was the mere presence of the tall, silvery haired man that had drawn his attention at first.

_Him._

_Morikawa Sesshoumaru._

Was_ this_ was the reason why Kagome always kept her Wednesday nights free? Because she went out to dinner with Sesshoumaru? No, it couldn't be.

_Could it?_

Before more questions could fly about in his head, they vanished swiftly as his gaze settled on Morikawa's date. Kagome looked magnificent in that warm peach colored dress he'd seen her buy the day before when he followed Hiro out to the mall. She had seemed to be alone except for Hiro and he went over and speak to her. But as he began making his way over to them, he spotted Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku making a beeline for her. Kouga called out her name and she whirled around to face him, a welcoming smile on her face much to Yuki's dismay.

Looking at her now, he saw that the gown clung in all the right places, moving with her body and causing her fair skin to glow with a soft golden tint. Her soft black hair hung straight and loose down her bare back. She had never looked more natural... or more beautiful.

_Beautiful?_ Yuki frowned. Where had _that_ come from?

Turning his attention back on his date who sat across the table from him, he felt a twinge of irritation. Something made him take a good, long look at her and it just hit him all of a sudden. Sure, she was a lovely girl with a perfect figure, small waist and good sized tits, and yes, he'd do her. But looking into her hazel eyes, Yuki knew that there was nothing substantial behind them... which was pretty evident by the constant flow of meaningless words that kept pouring from her mouth. There was no doubt about it; the girl was a beautiful idiot.

And he didn't even remember her name.

His mind automatically switched off under the barrage of her inane chatter. He was bored with her already, but why? When had a girl's level of intelligence ever been a factor in his desire for her? Normally, he didn't care what went on between the girl's ears. All he wanted ever wanted was what she had between her legs and that was enough to satisfy him.

His green gaze slid over to where Kagome and Sesshoumaru were sitting. Kagome's back was to him, but he didn't have to see her face to know that she looked happy sitting there with him, listening raptly as he talked to her, replying when asked a question or making a comment every so often. The ditzy creature sitting across from him probably never even knew when to shut up, as it was so clearly evident at the moment. She didn't even realize that he wasn't paying attention to her anymore.

Yuki reached up and gingerly rubbed his temples. His head was about to split from the noise, i.e., her abrasive, irritating voice, but thankfully, the girl's phone rang and without even pausing to take a breath, she answered it with girly gusto. At least her attention was diverted elsewhere... for now.

He groaned. She'd been hot last night. But now... since the alcohol had long since worn off, he just wanted to ring her neck. Why wouldn't she just shut up for awhile? Didn't she realize the strain her vocal chords were under?

That's what he got for asking a kid just starting college to go out with him. Sure she was a bit young, but that's what he liked.

Wasn't it?

_'Right,'_ said a silky voice in his head, startling him. _'You like it so much that your fingers are itching to grab your steak knife and slash her throat with it. Then she wouldn't be able to talk anymore, now would she?'_

Shoving back his murderous rage, a light, tinkling laugh washed over him, relieving his tension somewhat and he looked back over at Kagome's table. Morikawa had apparently made a funny and it was tickling her pink. Funny, Yuki never would have thought that such a prim and proper man like Morikawa would know how to be funny unless he was beaten down by the funny stick. Even then it would be hard to imagine it.

Kagome shifted slightly in her chair, crossing her legs at the knees and carefully situating her skirt. Yuki scowled. That dress looked _really_ good on her.

But it wasn't being worn for him. Knowing that that peach-hued confection was being worn for another man instinctively made Yuki want to go up to her, snatch her up and run away with her. Then he would take her home, strip her naked and teach her that he was the only man she should dress up for. But seeing as how she was with Sessoumaru, he'd probably be hunted down and shot on sight for daring to touch property that wasn't his.

As for that bastard, he was obviously enjoying her appearance, for his pale yellow eyes never left her. While Kagome's dark head was bowed over the menu, Morikawa's eyes looked over her body, almost like he was studying every inch of her and committing her appearance to memory. Was it wrong for a man to be staring like _that_ at his step-sister? Apparently not, since it had never stopped Inuyasha, who had managed to cop a feel on her.

The waiter finally arrived with their food, but by then Yuki was now not only ignoring his date (who had hung up the phone and was now talking away to him yet again) but he was also openly staring at Kagome. She had lifted her head to look at her companion, who had reached over and clasped one of her hands in his.

Irritation filled his soul. Should he go over there and crash their little party?

oooooooooooooooooooooo

Sesshoumaru was thoroughly satisfied. Kagome looked exceptionally beautiful this night in her new gown and he was glad that she and Hiro had also chosen this one. He would have as well, but he needed a ruse to get Hiro to accompany them. He had not wanted to leave Kagome alone when his secretary had called in a panic and asked that he return to the office _immediately_. Having two of his top managers coming to blows over... well, that was another story. They were instantly suspended for two weeks without pay for acting like idiots.

But back to his beloved. One of the reasons he loved her peach gown was that it was backless. When he had first seen it on her, he very nearly wept. Hiro was definitely keeping up his end of the bargain. Sometime in the near future, Sesshoumaru would pull him aside and ask him what he would like as a reward. No gift was too great or too expensive when he'd caught a glimpse of her naked back looking like this for the first time in years.

_Her ribcage was no longer visible._

Flesh had returned once more, filling out her little frame delightfully. It wasn't a whole lot, for she was still quite thin, but it was just enough to keep her delicate bone structure from being seen. Of course, he would demand that Hiro immediately stock up the pantry with fattening foods. He wanted her to gain more weight, to completely remove that look of vulnerable fragility that seemed to have housed itself permanently on her features. He wanted again to see that rosy-cheeked, black-haired cherub who ran around playing hide-and-seek with Hiro when the two were children. That little girl had always taken his breath away.

But times hadn't really changed.

She still did.

Kagome, seeming to sense her guardian watching her, looked up. He was studying her again, she thought with a small sigh and gave him a smile. "What are you thinking, Sesshoumaru?"

Returning her smile with one of his own, Sesshoumaru took one of her hands in his. "I'm thinking that you look deliciously stunning this evening. Shall we just order dessert and then leave?" His amber eyes twinkled mischieviously.

A light laugh bubbled out of her throat. "Nani? I thought you were starving?" She shifted in her chair, recrossing her legs.

"Oh, I am," her companion replied, "but I don't like seeing other men staring at you so openly. I'd like to be able to concentrate on my meal, rather than having to keep the riff-raff away from you. Such agitation is not good for the digestion, you know."

"Don't be silly, Sesshoumaru. That was only one guy. He ran away when he saw you approach me, remember?" Kagome chuckled softly, but did take notice of the worry in his eyes. "But if that is what you wish, then I'd love something drenched in chocolate."

He nodded and she opened her menu once more, giving him an opportunity to study her again... and not just her, either. Just a few tables away, sat Hiro's troublesome brother, Yuki, who was staring, with narrowed eyes, at Kagome.

His mind turned back to the file that had lain on his desk earlier that day. The summary had read as follows:

_Yamadera Yuki, businessman. Born in Tokyo into a stable home to loving parents. One younger brother, Hiro. Ran away at the age of 16. Became involved in shady business dealings and ended up a millionaire by the age of 19. Now owns the highly successful nightclub, Netsu, amongst other establishments. Is known for his mistreatment of women; was rumored to have devirgin-ized ten young women in one night for a bet._

That was all Sesshoumaru could take in one sitting. He'd closed the folder, thankfully hiding the rest of the lurid details from his tired eyes.

Now, taking a delicate sip of his mineral water, his gaze fell upon the blond man again. Yuki's attention was momentarily diverted by the female sitting with him. Oh yes, Sesshoumaru thought, he'd made it his business to find out all he could about Yuki and he'd find out more if he deemed it necessary. After all, why not? Yuki had taken it upon himself to hunt down his brother and now had become a constant bother to Hiro and to Kagome. Sesshoumaru was only taking steps to ensure the safety of his little Kagome. The man was dangerous; anyone could see that.

There was more in the file but Sesshoumaru had decided to leave it for later for it was making him upset. How dare a man like that go after Kagome? Compared to Yuki, Inuyasha was a complete angel.

The way he was watching Kagome was making Sesshoumaru's stomach turn. Those green eyes, fierce and unblinking, fixed predatorily on his little one, worried him. If he kept this up, Sesshoumaru wouldn't be able to sleep alone tonight... but he couldn't impose on her again so soon. Although, if this Yuki guy managed to follow them back to her home, he just might stay overnight to ensure that Kagome wasn't disturbed.

"You know, Kagome, I know this great new restaurant near your house that sell these fantastic fudge brownies... why don't we order dinner from there?" When she opened her mouth to speak, he grabbed her hand and kissed it. "I got to see you all dressed up and the fact that you did it for me means a lot to me, Kagome. I know it makes you uncomfortable to eat in places like this but its only out of my selfish desire to see you look so beautifully made up that I ask you to have dinner with me."

Kagome shook her head. "You're not selfish, Sesshoumaru, but you're welcome. Thank you for purchasing it for me."

From behind her, Sesshoumaru could see Yuki's body tensing up. About to make his move, then? Well, a repeat of her date with Inuyasha was not going to happen here.

Lifting a hand, Sesshoumaru summoned his waiter. Whipping out a couple of large bills and handing them over to the grateful man, he quietly explained that he and his companion would be leaving but he noticed that the fair-haired man a couple of tables over was looking rather unwell. Perhaps the waiter should go and see if he was alright? He seemed to be lightheaded. "I would have him keep his seat until the faintness has passed. I trust you will look after him _personally_?"

The waiter nodded vehemently and bustled off to see to the 'ailing' man, while Sesshoumaru gathered up Kagome and hustled her out of there quickly before Yuki could follow them.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Yuki loathed being fussed over. He wasn't an old woman, damn it!

With an angry cry, he slapped the man's hands away from him. "Oi! There's nothing wrong with me, you idiot! Get away!"

"But sir, the gentleman over there was worried about you. He said you looked unwell--"

The gentleman over there? It just _had_ to be Sesshoumaru!

Jumping to his feet, Yuki stepped away from the waiter and smoothed down his dinner jacket. "Well, as you can _plainly_ see, my good man, I'm perfectly alright." He ran an agitated hand through his already mussed hair and looked over at Sesshoumaru's table...

He froze. She was gone. _They were both gone._

He'd been tricked by Sesshoumaru! That clever bastard...

Yuki looked everywhere for the missing pair before dashing outside. They were nowhere to be seen!

Crushing defeat engulfed him. How could he not have seen that coming? Perhaps he underestimated Morikawa too much? No way; he'd _utterly and completely_ underestimated him. _Of course_ Sesshoumaru would take notice of some other man encroaching upon his territory. He most likely recognized Yuki from that night he and Inuyasha had it out on Kagome's living room floor. And Morikawa, being the brilliant man that he was, would instantly recognize a threat if he saw it a mile away.

Damn it! Had he been looking too eager? Most likely. Yuki bemoaned the fact that he would _never_ make a good poker player. It was difficult trying to hide his emotions.

With a heavy heart, Yuki went back inside to pay the bill and left, leaving his clueless date behind. She was probably talking to herself or one of her equally stupid friends on her phone anyway.

As he drove away, he wondered if he should stop by Kagome's house to check to see if she made it home, but decided not to. It wasn't as if he cared anyway. She meant nothing to him...

_Nothing at all._

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A couple of months had passed by, peaceful and Yuki-free, and summer rolled easily into autumn. Kouga, after three weeks of intense wooing, was ecstatic when Kagome had finally agreed to be his girlfriend. Ginta and Hakkaku were overjoyed that Kagome had now become part of their pack and did everything they could to make her feel welcome. Of course, she already felt as though she belonged with them and invited them all to her house often.

Thankfully, Sesshoumaru did not put up much of an argument. Naturally, he'd had Kouga investigated, but turned up nothing. He would have dug deeper, but Kagome seemed very happy with her obsidian-haired prince so he did nothing more.

Of course, Sesshoumaru had demanded to meet with the man privately and interrogated him thoroughly. But Kouga wasn't phased at all by the coarse treatment he received and seemed eager to answer any question Sesshoumaru might have. From what Sesshoumaru could gather, Kouga truly cared about Kagome and didn't mind that all this was to put her guardian's fears to rest. When asked about his feelings toward the girl, Kouga's blue eyes lit up with such joy that Sesshoumaru couldn't help but feel jealousy course through his veins.

Kagome, as he knew very well, was crazy about Kouga, so he let the matter rest. Although, he _did_ request that Hiro continue to monitor Kouga discreetly, which Hiro agreed to do. Hiro, of course, knew all about Kouga's checkered past but said nothing to Sesshoumaru about it because Kouga really _had_ changed. He was still a cocky bastard; that side of him would _never_ alter, but he was a cocky bastard that would do anything for the girl he loved... even going so far as to blatantly lie to her overprotective guardian to keep her.

For Hiro, it was hard keeping a secret from Sesshoumaru, but seeing Kagome's face light up whenever Kouga appeared, it was totally worth it. He would never tell her Kouga's past; it was up to that one to come clean, although that seemed rather unlikely. Hiro felt that Kouga most probably would _never_ tell her anything about it.

By the first of November, Inuyasha began to phone. Kagome, who by now had forgotten her fears of retribution from him, willingly accepted his calls. His time in Kagoshima was being well-spent and he loved every minute of it. He still loved her, he confessed, and was waiting anxiously for the day when he would return and could see her again.

Kagome merely smiled and said the she was looking forward to his return to the family.

oooooooo

And so the days slipped by. Winter's cold clutches replaced the remaining warmth of fall. Christmas came and went, and this year, Kagome's little house wasn't empty during the holidays like it was the previous year. On Christmas eve, her home was full of people: Sesshoumaru, Souta, Hiro, Kouga, Ginta, Hakkaku, Sango and Miroku. Inuyasha had been unable to make it home, due to a rather nasty flu virus that kept him bedridden for nearly three weeks.

Feeling bad for him, Kagome sent him several gifts a couple of days before Christmas, one of which was a set deep red flannel pajamas. He responded immediately with a weak, but overjoyed phone call from his sick bed. He hadn't been able to decide on what to get her, but by the time he'd figured it out, he'd gotten sick and couldn't go by the store to purchase it for her. Kagome told him that she was fine, that she didn't need anything.

Her reply had so disturbed the sick man, that when he began to ask her why she didn't want anything from him, he began to stammer terribly, which in turn brought on a fit of coughing that frightened her. Kagome was afraid he'd expire while on the phone with her and quickly reassured him that she could not wait to receive his gift. This seemed to pacify Inuyasha and Kagome said nothing else about it. The coughing eventually ceased and he whispered to her that he was exhausted and needed to sleep.

The day after Christmas found Kagome staring the heaps of presents given to her by her family and friends. Sango, Miroku, Hiro and her little brother Souta had given her modest amounts of gifts, just as she had done for them. But the largest piles were a tie between Sesshoumaru and Kouga and Kawase brothers. To Kagome, it felt that they had been in some kind of contest, one side trying to out do the other. There certainly seemed to be some tension between her boyfriend and her guardian, but Kagome, for the life of her, couldn't see why that should be so. What had they to be jealous about? Sesshoumaru was her guardian/big brother, while Kouga was her boyfriend. Each knew what the other meant to her, so what was the problem?

The loveliest gift given to her was a diamond necklace that Kouga had given her, Kagome remembered Sesshoumaru's body tensing up and seeing the cold anger in his eyes when it was presented to her. She hadn't really given that moment a second thought, but later on she couldn't help but remember it when Sesshoumaru had looked with some distaste at the necklace as it lay around her neck.

Perhaps Sesshoumaru was old fashioned, she wondered. Did he believe that expensive gifts like jewelry were only meant to be given to one by one's spouse or betrothed?

Nah...that couldn't be. He'd never struck her as the old fashioned type.

Thankfully, his anger over the diamond necklace soon abated, but winter did not. By late January, it snowed almost every day, blanketing Tokyo for the most part with pure, lovely whiteness.

One day while she was out shopping with Hiro, she ran into someone. Literally. She had been bundled up and hunched up against the icy cold winds when she made bodily contact with something that felt like a brick wall.

A pair of strong, leather-gloved hands shot out and caught hold of her arms, keeping her from falling over. "Are you okay?" a male voice asked. A deep, _buttery smooth_ voice...

Her head jerked up and saw Yuki, bare-headed, staring down at her. "Y-yuki-sama," she whispered and out of pure reflex, scuttled backwards before bowing to him. "Gomen nasai! I didn't see you."

"It's fine," replied Yuki, turning away from her.

When Kagome looked up, Yuki was holding his arm out to the woman who stood beside him. She was a vision in white mink, but her hair was a frosted blond tint. It was pretty apparent that this was _not_ her natural color.

The woman took the proffered arm with a disdainful sniff and the two walked off together. Kagome sighed as she watched them go and looked down at her own clothing. She felt dowdy in her brown overcoat and black boots.

A pair of arms encircled her from behind. "You look better than that two dollar tramp any day, sweetie," Hiro's voice murmured in her ear. "Besides, she won't last long. I'd give it about...um... less than five minutes."

As they stood there watching, the woman turned to Yuki with a loud, demanding voice and asked him something. Yuki turned to face her, his face never changing but his eyes seemed to grow harder. After a minute of patiently listen to the woman's high-pitched, querulous voice, he shoved her from him and walked away towards the parking lot.

Hiro chuckled softly. "You can tell he's been tired of her for hours now. I bet you anything he wants to see her slip and fall in the snow. He'd only laugh at her and leave her lying there."

Sure enough, the woman tried running after Yuki in her impossibly high heels, but Yuki only stood and watched, waiting for her to fall. That of course, was exactly what happened. Her foot slipped on the ice and snow covered asphalt and she fell faceforward onto the slush-covered street. Yuki just stood there and watched as she fell, making no move to help her, a huge smile on his face.

After a moment, the smile vanished. He turned and walked away, leaving her to flail helplessly.

With a cry, Kagome rushed forward to help the woman up. At first, her hands were rebuffed, but when the woman realized that Yuki was not coming back, she accepted Kagome's assistance.

"Arigato," she muttered, brushing the snow from the white pelt of her coat. "That bastard didn't help me up. What a fucking lowlife!" She turned to look at Kagome with a rueful smile. "Stay away from men like him, honey. That kind of man is always the worst. They don't give a shit about anyone but themselves." With that, she walked away.

Kagome watched the woman go. Yuki had been attracted to her at some point... so when had he lost interest?

"Hiro?" she asked fretfully, slipping her mittened hand into his, "Will Kouga get tired of me that soon, too?"

Startled, Hiro turned to stare at her. "Are you kidding me? Kouga? Get tired of you? I'm surprised that _you_ aren't tired of _him _yet," he interjected. "That man is _always_ at the house, I swear. Either that or he's calling you on the phone. I don't think he can get enough of you."

"Why?"

He looked down at her and grinned. "Probably because you're so damned cute!" he cried and lowered his hands to tickle her.

She laughed hard and managed to get away from Hiro's hands. "Stop that!" she exclaimed, laughing.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Seeing her again after all this time had been a shock to his system. He hadn't expected to see her on this side of town. Hiro was probably with her then, for he knew this side pretty well.

But all the same, it had been a surprise.

Even now, as he sat in his car, engine running, Yuki saw her in his mind's eye as the little scene played over and over again. She was still scared of him, he thought with some confusion, remembering how she hurried to move away from him. Was he so repulsive to her that every time he touched her, she flinched from him? Damn, that girl sure knew how to bring a fellow down.

With a sigh, he reached forward and turned the key to start the ignition. A protesting squeal came from the engine and Yuki slapped his forehead. Of course... his car was already running. Baka...

As he drove home, his thoughts kept returning to that scrawny little girl. For the past several months, he'd been hard-pressed to try to push her out his mind and actually _keep_ her out. He had been tired of wondering again and again just _why_ she never fell for him or why he couldn't stop thinking of her. She hadn't changed much at all, so of course he wasn't attracted to her. So he decided that she just wasn't attracted to him in any way, shape or form. Sure, it hurt when this finally sunk in, but he finally accepted it. As beautiful and perfect as he was, not _everyone_ would love him as much as he loved himself. Sad, but true.

Right now, high above the snow covered city streets in his penthouse, Yuki was enjoying a leisurely smoke outside on his balcony. The cold didn't bother him; in fact, he loved it. He smiled as the bitter wind bit the flesh of his face and he snuggled into his dark green hoodie.

Since he'd stopped obsessing over dominating Kagome, life had went along pretty much as it had before, except this time, for some inexplicable reason his interest in women had decreased considerably. However, that was not the only change he noticed in himself as time had gone by. His mood, in general, had almost completely altered. He was relaxed, easygoing and (dare I say it?) _far more agreeable_ than he'd ever been in his life.

As for the woman he'd taken home last night...well, she'd been a mistake, obviously. That dye job he'd been fool enough to spend money on was far too old for him, but last night she had looked like perfection itself, thanks to the gin and tonics she repeatedly heaped upon him.

Exhaling, he grunted at the memory. Free alcohol or not, there was no excuse to get plastered out of his mind. He _really_ needed to cut back on the booze. Although, watching the dirty skank end up face first on the ground more than made up for the inconvenience she put him through. He had thoroughly enjoyed watching her embarrassing trip to the ground. Laughing at the expense of others was an old habit that he had no plan on breaking any time soon.

But now that he'd seen Kagome again, he knew it would take an act of Kami-sama to rid his mind of her once and for all. Perhaps it was life's way of giving him a second chance at her... and if that was the case, he was going to take it.

Tossing the cigarette butt over the side of the balcony, he went back inside his warm apartment. The thought of starting the chase up all over again was exciting to be sure, but for some reason, making her miserable hadn't even crossed his mind.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

It was the beginning of February and by now, Yuki's mellow mood had somewhat passed and he was mostly back to his usual obnoxious self. On this freezing cold day, he was planning to take Kagome out on a date after long last, no matter what. He'd been made to wait far too long for this.

While waiting for Hiro to pick up the phone, Yuki was standing in front of the full-length mirror, clad only in blue jeans, staring lovingly at his perfect figure and holding his cell phone to his ear. Damn, he was gorgeous.

"Moshi-moshi?"

"Hello, little brother!" trilled Yuki happily.

A muffled, pain-filled groan. "What do you want, Yuki?" came the weary reply.

"Hiro, prepare dinner, if you please. I am coming over for a visit and to ask Kagome out on a date again. Okay? Good. Expect me in an hour. We won't be going out tonight because I plan on allowing her the opportunity to find out more about _me_. I just _know_ she'll feel honored to know that I am once again interested in her." Yuki grinned handsomely at his reflection and ran a hand through his hair, which was looking especially soft and golden this evening. There was no way Kagome could turn all _this_ down again. He was looking just too hot!

"I wouldn't do that," muttered Hiro quietly.

"Excuse me?" Yuki's attention was momentarily diverted from his beautiful reflection and actually _frowned._ He turned away to keep from seeing the creases in his smooth forehead.

Hiro sighed. "I said, I wouldn't do that."

Shaking his head, Yuki went back to studying his face, sans frown. "Nonsense, little brother, why wouldn't I want to do that?" He swiveled his body around and turned his head to look in the mirror over his shoulder. His ass was just too perfect! If he could, he'd date himself...

Another sigh came from Hiro's end of the phone. "Yuki, I... There's something I think you should know..."

The tone of his brother's voice caused Yuki to turn away from his handsome image. "What are you saying?" Another frown crept over his face. "What's going on, Hiro?"

"Yuki..."

A wave of anger rolled over the golden one. "Tell me, Hiro. Oh, I see. Is something going on between you and Kagome, then? I won't have it, you hear me? I won't --"

"Its not me, Yuki."

Feeling a sense of doom creep over him, Yuki went over to his bed and sank down up on it. He shut his eyes, not wanting to hear the answer, but dying to know just the same. "Who, then?" _Who was stupid enough to cross me and sign their own death warrant?_

"Just promise me you won't storm over here and---"

Yuki's temper flared to an unnatural degree, one that surprised even him. _"FUCKING TELL ME NOW!"_ he thundered into the phone.

Hiro's answer came out in a rush. "It's Kouga. She and Kouga are dating, Yuki. They've been seeing each other for awhile now."

Yuki's free fist clenched around a handful of his comforter, but what he _really _wanted was to wrap his fingers around Kouga's neck and throttle the life out of him. _"Why the fuck didn't you tell me?!"_ he hissed furiously.

"Why? Because you'd try to have him bumped off, that's why!" Hiro shot back, equally angry. "Kagome has every right to be happy, Yuki, so don't interfere."

"Oh, really. Well, what about _my_ right to be happy, Hiro? Ever think about that?"

A derisive snort erupted from Hiro. "Oh please. Kagome tried being nice to you. She even tried to take your verbal abuse to make you happy. Do you remember remember how _that _went? You got your jollies off of making _her_ miserable. I think it's only fair that she think about her own happiness and screw yours."

While Hiro raged against him into the phone, an unpleasant thought struck Yuki.

_Why did Hiro not want him to come over? Was it because Kouga was over there right now? Was she with him this second? His arms around her? His filthy hands on her body??_

_No! No, no, the idea was repulsive. Don't think like that, baka. Of course she wouldn't do something like that. Not with Kouga, of all people._

_But just to be sure... _

"Where _is_ Kagome, by the way?" he asked, straining to hear if Kagome was somewhere in the background.

"Oh, she's with Kouga, right this second. And you know what? They're making out in the living room. How about that, Yuki? Wait! Do you hear that? That's the sound of Kouga _slurping_ on her tonsils. Doesn't young love just warm that ice-infested organ you call a heart?" Hiro replied triumphantly, hanging up the phone.

When Yuki, who was already well on his way to an explosion of vitrolic rage, heard the dial tone, he let loose a thundering roar before chunking his cell phone across the room, where it smashed into pieces against the wall. He sat on his bed, staring daggers at the pieces of phone scattered on his floor, trying desperately to force his rage down.

_Why should he care?_ _She was nothing to him!_

Managing to keep his fury somewhat under control, Yuki stalked out of his bedroom and over to his wet bar, where he opened the little refrigerator and grabbed the brand new bottle of vodka he'd bought just the other day, as well as a shot glass. His eyes jumped from the bottle to the glass and back to the bottle. His hand bypassed the glass and he began drinking straight from the bottle.

All the while he was chugging, his mind was whirring, spinning at the improbability of this situation. Kagome would _never_ be with a guy like Kouga. That was just a preposterous notion! Besides, Kouga's taste in women did not include a female like Kagome. She too much of a goody-two shoes type for someone like Kouga, who had always preferred his women fresh out of high school and on the slutty side.

Kagome was nothing like that. She was far too sweet and pure for--

Slamming the bottle back down to the counter, Yuki's upper lip pulled back in an impatient snarl. _But who cares? He certainly didn't. She was a nobody! She was nothing! _

Eventually, he gave up arguing with himself and left his penthouse and went out into the dark winter night. Taking the bottle with him, Yuki had decided to go out to see for himself. There just had to be some mistake. There was no way she could possibly be _involved_ with a man like that.

ooooooooooooo

He had found Kagome at home, alright. Standing in the snow and looking into the living room window, he saw that she was indeed at home, cozied up to Kouga, snuggled into his arms and they were kissing. Not just kissing... making out like a couple of hormonal teenagers. Just as Hiro said they were...

In his drunken state, all he knew was that Kagome was allowing that traitorous man-whore to touch her pure body in ways he'd only dreamt of.

_Not fair!_ his mind screamed. _Its not fair!_

Unable to contain his rage any longer, Yuki burst into the house, kicked the front door in, wrenching the door completely off of its hinges and dashed into the living room.

His eyes flew wildly between Kagome and Kouga. The cuddling pair jumped apart when he burst in on them. Kagome stared with frightened bewilderment at Yuki, who was leaning drunkenly against the nearest wall for support. "You... and _him_?" he spat, feeling as though his heart was being wrenched out his chest. "Why? Why him? Why not me?! _What's wrong with me?!_"

Blushing furiously, Kagome got to her feet, a bewildered look on her face. "Yuki-sama!"

"Look at me! I'm beautiful! I'm fucking wealthy! Any women who looks at _me,_ wants _me_! Why did you turn _me_ down for... for... _that?_" He pointed an unsteady finger accusingly at Kouga.

"Ano... gomen nasai! Please, come and sit before you fall...!"

Rage filled Yuki's alcohol-addled brain and he gave a harsh laugh. "No, of _course_ you didn't want me. You were too busy trying to get into his pants--"

At this point, Kouga jumped up and lunged at Yuki. He grabbed the blond man's throat and shook him. "Don't you _dare_ speak that way to Kagome!" he snarled. "Apologize now or I--"

"Or you'll what, Kouga? _Or you'll what?_ Kill me? That's a story in itself, wouldn't you agree? Hey Kagome, did Kouga tell you what he used to do for a living?"

"Shut your trap, Yuki!" Kouga hissed furiously. "Kagome, don't listen to his lies!"

But Yuki only laughed at the panicked, frightened look in the man's bright blue eyes. "Oh, dear. You haven't told her about your past profession, have you?" More sinister laughter.

"Told me, what? Kouga? What is he talking about?" Kagome looked from one man to the other, her heart sinking into her belly. Something very bad was about to be revealed.

"Oh, Kagome, Kagome. You really should find out all you can about a man _before_ you let his tongue slide half way down your esophagus. Your boyfriend here was a paid assassin, my dear. Didn't you know that? He used to _murder_ people for money! What do ya think of that, huh? Think he's marriage material now?" Yet another ugly laugh wrenched from Yuki's throat as he felt ice form in his chest. He turned his attention back on Kouga. "You stole her from me, you damned bastard. You _knew_ I wanted her and yet you snuck around and --"

"Kouga--?" Kagome's gaze slid over to Kouga, questioningly, and he could see her trust in him wavering. "I-is that true?"

"Kagome, I----" He turned away from her to stare daggers at the blond man in his grasp. _"Damn you, Yuki!" _With a growl, Kouga slammed Yuki up against the busted up doorframe, pure hate burning in his blue eyes. "For your information, I didn't _sneak_. I won her over showing her kindness and caring and I sure as hell didn't use _your_ approach; what with all the scheming and lying you do just get into a woman's bed for a quick one-time roll in the hay. Perhaps if you were more of human being, you'd be able to understand that women have feelings too."

Yuki's green eyes slid over to where Kagome stood quite still, utterly distraught, wondering if she should say something to make everything better, but not knowing what to say. It appeared that she was pretty well shaken up by the revelation of Kouga's past.

_Damned bitch...serves you right for messing with that loser..._

What she needed to be saying was how sorry she was for demanding all of Hiro's time. All he ever talked about was Kagome. He lived and breathed for Kagome, very rarely leaving her side. He'd even given up having a life of his own to make sure she was looked after and cared for. Hiro even neglected to spend time with his brother! His own flesh and blood! All because of a stupid, ignorant little female...

And then there was Kouga. In his mind's eye, Yuki was treated to the sight of Kagome wrapped up in Kouga's arms once more and his anger flared all over again.

_The bastard's hands had been all over her. His hands, those filthy, bloodstained hands, and his lips... all over Kagome..._

Yuki shook his head, trying to clear it. But it didn't work. He was jealous, he realized with shock.

_Jealous... him... _

_So bloody jealous of an ex-assassin who loved her... and who got to hold her... to touch her... to taste her..._

_Damn her. Why should he give a shit? She was such a stupid, pathetic, miserably insignificant wench... who meant nothing to him..._

He finally managed to shake the thought of her and Kouga together and went back to the topic of his brother. Anything to stop thinking of her with another man...

"You! You've ruined my life and stole Hiro away from me! He went running to you to get away from me! _Why did you have to fucking matter so much to him?!" _he roared at Kagome, shoving Kouga away from him with great force.

"Yuki-sama, I---"

_"Shut up!"_ he screamed at her and she flinched. He felt horribly confused, not knowing if he wanted to go after Kagome or the man who'd been attached to her face a moment ago. So he went after the weaker of the two, the one who had hurt him the most. "I _fucking_ hate you, bitch! You... irritate me! Arghh! I wish you never existed! Why didn't you just die back then, huh? You shoulda starved to death... you... you damned... you--" He panted heavily, unable to continue.

As his tirade peetered out, he saw the glimmer of tears as they streaked down her ghost white face. His murderous rage instantly dissipated. Sparkling green eyes opened very wide, stricken with shock. What was he saying? Oh no...

_Kagome?_ _Kami, please don't cry, Kagome._ _Don't you dare cry! I didn't... I didn't mean what I said..._

As she lowered her head, hiding those exquisite eyes from view, the nearly-empty bottle of vodka dropped from his nerveless fingers, shattering at his feet... and then he fled. It was too much, _far too much, _for his wounded heart to bear.

Without realizing it, Kagome had hurt him. She wanted Kouga, but that wasn't enough to tear his heart in two. From out of nowhere, his desire to possess her had gone far beyone wanting to use her for her body. He not only wanted her, but he wanted to monopolize all of her attention and to have her treat him as she did Hiro... and it pissed him off when she wouldn't do it.

His damned heart was yelling at him, demanding that he go back, grovel on his knees before her and apologize for being the biggest bastard that ever existed, but his mind was only a swirling mass of confusion and fear. She would never forgive him for that, for what he had said. Not even Kagome would be able to find it in her gentle heart to forgive him.

So out into the night he ran, stumbling drunkenly along the way. Her face... those eyes... those huge, tear-filled eyes... were burned into his brain, his memory. Never would he be able to forget her face, the way she looked at him after hearing all the terrible things he said to her.

Somehow, he managed to locate his car in the bitterly cold night and climb into it, his trembling hands fumbling with his keys. Eventually, he found the ignition, started up the car and drove away into the night. The ice-covered roads did not deter him from speeding along. All he wanted was to get as far away from her as possible. Perhaps then, when he was far enough away, he could forget her.

'Forget her... forget her...' his mind repeated endlessly. But as his car skidded off the road and slammed into a tree, the damned chanting mercifully ceased.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

While Kouga was comforting a sobbing Kagome, Hiro's phone rang. He picked it up off the coffee table... listened... and dropped it. It clattered loudly on the glass top and both Kagome and Kouga turned to look.

Hiro's face was completely drained of blood. Kagome, alarmed, jumped up and rushed over to him. "Hiro! What's wrong?"

"Its... Yuki." He looked up at Kagome. "There's been an accident. He... wrapped his car around a tree."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Chapter 11

Kagome sobbed in the circle of Kouga's arms as they sat in the waiting room of the hospital while a white-faced Hiro had gone into Yuki's room. The accident had been very serious and Yuki was lucky not to have been killed outright. How he had survived after his vehicle had made such violent contact with the tree was nothing short of a miracle. He had received a nasty blow to the side of his head and both of his legs had been broken, but his vital organs were all intact.

An hour after rushing into his brother's room at the hospital, Hiro emerged, his brown eyes solemn and red-rimmed. The doctor followed him out, shook his hand and told him to go home to get some rest.

Kouga and Kagome rose and went over to Hiro, who rubbed his eyes tiredly. Exhaustion and worry poured off of him in waves.

"How is he?" Kagome asked hesitantly. She reached out to touch him, but quickly retracted her hand, for fear he would slap it away. _This was her fault. It just had to be. If she hadn't upset Yuki... if she hadn't chosen Kouga, then perhaps none of this would have happened._

But Hiro did not slap her hand away. Indeed, he pulled her into his arms and held her close. "He's...alive, thank Kami. I... I have something to tell you, but I don't know if its a good thing or a bad thing. Of course, the doctor says it's too early to tell--"

Kagome looked up at him worriedly. "What's happened?"

Hiro cocked his head and gave her a strange little smile. "It appears that Yuki... has no recollection of what happened before the accident."

"What?" Kouga was astounded.

Shaking his head, Hiro hugged Kagome to him again. "He's lost some of his memory, Kouga. Believe me, the first thing I asked him was why the hell was he driving on icy roads when he was completely drunk off his ass. He just looked at me as though I was crazy and completely denied it. I asked him what was the last thing he recalled and he told me that he was at home talking on the phone with me." Hiro paused and shook his head again. "He thinks that the accident happened on his way over to visit me."

"May I go visit him?" Kagome asked quietly. "I mean, if you don't want me to, I won't. I don't want to upset him."

"Um, sure, Kagome, but he might be asleep right now. They had to put him on some pretty heavy sedatives--"

But Kagome was gone before he could finish. She knocked politely on the door and went in, closing the door behind her. "Yuki-sama?"

There was no answer and she went to stand beside his bed, choking back a startled gasp. The sight of him was so unsettling, she had to turn away for a minute to regain her composure. Her stomach roiled briefly, but settled when she steeled herself to look upon him once more. Thankfully, no blood was visible.

Yuki did not look like Yuki. His once equisite face was a gruesome mess; black and blue and swollen, with the right side of his face bandaged up. His golden hair was hidden away under still more bandages. Any trace of his ethereal beauty had been decimated and it tore at Kagome to see him this way, so helpless and vulnerable. She wondered how he would react when discovered that his looks, of which he was so exceedingly proud, might have been destroyed forever.

Looking down, she took hold of his left hand, which amazingly was uninjured. His fingers were beautifully slender, long and delicately tapered at the tips and she vaguely wondered if he was a musician or an artist. His other hand, she noted with some horror, was also wrapped up in those disturbing white bandages.

The carefully manicured fingers twitched slightly in hers and weakly clutched at her hand. "Yuki-sama?" she whispered again, looking into his poor, battered face and moving her face closer to his.

His left eye, the one not covered by bandages, could barely open but she just caught a glint green beneath the swollen lids. Pale lips curved upwards into a tentative smile. "So pretty..." he mumbled softly. "Pretty... angel... thought I was going... to that other place..." His eyes closed as he sank into unconsciousness.

Kagome stood froze in place, not believing what he had said. There must be some mistake, though. He must be delirious. Yes, that must be it. Yuki was delirious. After all, hadn't he hurt his head in the crash? The injury must have caused him to see things... illusions. Poor, poor Yuki. She would come by tomorrow and bring him a lovely bouquet of flowers. Perhaps she would be able to help him while he was healing and in doing so, try to make up for all the devastation she'd caused.

On the way home, Kagome rode in the front with Kouga, who'd driven them all to the hospital. Hiro was in the back seat, fast asleep. Silence reigned supreme for several long minutes.

But Kagome felt as though Kouga had something he wanted to say, for she could feel the tension wash over her with every breath he took. At last, she could take it no more. "Kouga..."

When she spoke his name, the words came pouring out of him. "I'm sorry, Kagome. I... I never wanted to keep any secrets from you, but that's not something you can really go around telling people, you know? I mean, it's not as if I'm proud of what I've done." He shot her a worried, sideways glance and sighed. "You probably hate me now, huh? I won't blame you if you decide to break up with me, Kagome. I mean, you trusted me with some of your secrets, but I couldn't even tell you this _one thing_."

Reaching out, Kagome gently touched Kouga's forearm and lightly clutched at his leather jacket. "Well, it was a pretty big one thing, wasn't it?"

That answer stunned Kouga and when they turned into her driveway, he put the car in park and turned to look at her, his heart pounding. "Yes. Yes, it was."

She turned in her seat to face him and stared back at him in the semi-darkness, the light over the garage doors shining in through the windshield, leaving half of her face in shadow. "I don't like the fact that you took human lives, Kouga." Her hand slid up from his arm to tenderly touch his face. "But that was many years ago, right? Because the Kouga _I know _wouldn't hurt anyone, no matter how much he was provoked." She smiled at him as a large tear slid down his face and after removing her glove, positioned her thumb to catch the drop, wiping it away. "Aww, don't cry. I couldn't hate you for what you've done in the past, because that's not who you are now."

Scooping her up into his arms, Kouga buried his face into her softly scented hair and squeezed his eyes shut. "I couldn't tell you something like that because I thought you'd hate me," he rasped out. "I wanted to protect you from that..."

Smiling against his shoulder, she returned his hug. "I know, Kouga and I appreciate the gesture. That means you truly care about me... and that's such a nice feeling."

Neither of them noticed, as Kouga moved to claim Kagome's lips, that the lump in the back seat was no longer asleep. In fact, he'd been awake for some time, ever since Kagome first spoke to Kouga. Hiro had watched and listened with a growing smile. Kouga certainly was a very lucky man to have a woman like Kagome. Very few women would want to continue a relationship with a man who had once murdered people for money.

But when they started kissing, he knew it was time to bail. "Ahem," he cleared his throat, causing the front seat passengers to jump. "No, no, you two keep doing what you're doing. I'll be going inside now. Kouga, try not to keep my girl up _too _late, okay?" Swiftly extricating himself from the car, he walked to the front door and let himself in.

He knew, even before he threw a last glance at them over his shoulder, that they had indeed continued doing what they were doing.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The next day, Kagome returned to the hospital with flowers. She sat and watched him sleep for a long, long time, all the while curled up on the chair beside his bed. When the nurses came in to check on him, she always asked if she could help them. The nurses were very nice and allowed Kagome to give them a hand with simple tasks.

The whole time, the patient remained asleep. In fact, he stayed more or less unconscious for an entire week.

When he finally fully awoke, he found Kagome curled up in the comfortable arm chair, where she had nodded off.

He frowned. What was _she_ doing here?

Almost as if she could hear his thoughts, Kagome's eyes opened and she looked up. "Yuki-sama, you're awake. I wanted to see if I could be of any help to you, if that's alright with you."

"What, did Hiro send you?"

Kagome shook her head. "No, I came on my own. He's busy taking care of business, he said."

Yuki grunted and looked away from her. "Hmph. I'm sure he is."

"Oh, but he is!" She jumped up from her chair and came to stand beside his bed. "He had errands to run for the house and groceries to buy, not to mention that he was having dinner tonight with a girl he met in college." A pleased giggle escaped her lips. "I had the hardest time convincing Hiro to go out with her, but he finally decided to go through with it."

"I see. And I suppose he hasn't thought twice about me, huh," grumbled the invalid.

"You're wrong, Yuki-sama! Hiro's been here everyday to see you. Look! He even brought you this lovely bouquet of daffodils and bluebells. An odd combination, I must say, but don't they look wonderfully cheerful?" She brought the bouquet over to him so he could reach out and touch the delicate petals with his uninjured hand.

Tears gathered in Yuki's eye as he stared at the strange mixture of flowers. When Kagome saw this, she panicked and asked if he needed a nurse. He shook his head, his gaze never leaving the bouquet in Kagome's hands.

"Hiro is sending me a message with these flowers. The daffodils say that he sends his regards. With the bluebells... he says that... his love for me is constant." He tried to keep the smile off his face, but he wasn't successful. "He always knows how to make me feel better... damn him."

Setting the flowers back on the bedside table, Kagome said, "Wow. I didn't know you could send a message with flowers. Maybe Hiro could teach me one day."

He looked up into Kagome's face and something in the back of his mind struck him. Somewhere in the haze of the past week, he recalled seeing a lovely, ethereal creature standing over him. An angel, he believed it to be. But now, he knew that it hadn't been an angel at all. That incredible being had been none other than Kagome bending over him...

As for that young lady, she felt her face grow warm under Yuki's gaze. "Are you tired? I guess I should go and let you rest," she murmured and turned to gather her belongings.

Yuki did not want that to happen. Her presence was a soothing balm to him. She didn't have to be here, had no reason to stay with him, but she was here... and it made him happy to know that she cared enough to do so. "No, please don't go," he said, stretching his hand out to her.

She turned to look at him, doubt darkening her eyes. "Are you certain? I have no wish to upset you in any way, Yuki-sama." Her gaze fell to his outstretched hand.

"Please," he said again, his tone pleading. "I don't... want to be alone."

Kagome knew she probably shouldn't trust him, but she couldn't help it. His upset was genuine, she felt. There was no way she could turn him down.

With a smile she hoped was comforting, Kagome took his hand and his long fingers closed around hers. "Thank you," he whispered, his eye closing with exhaustion.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

That was the beginning of their friendship. She came to see him almost everyday and on the days following her absence, she would bring him a treat, knowing that he would be fussing at everybody because she hadn't been there to see him.

He was also upset that he would be spending his birthday in a hospital. March 3rd was only a couple of days away and he wanted out, but of course, that wasn't going to happen. To get his mind off of his predicament, she asked him what he would like for his birthday, to which he instantly snapped out of his funk and happily rattled off a list of things he wanted. Unfortunately, his mood swings had zapped what little strength he had and he was soon fast asleep.

Kagome watched him for awhile before finally falling asleep herself. After an hour, a soft knock came at the door and the two occupants within, stirred. Faintly, she could hear the door to Yuki's room open.

"So, the demon spawn has finally arisen from his thousand year sleep to once more wreak havoc on the unsuspecting populace."

Kagome came wide awake at these words. "Nani?"

A dark-haired man in a doctor's lab coat and carrying a clipboard was standing at the foot of Yuki's bed, staring dispassionately down at the prostrate man. Yuki was staring up at him with one narrowed green eye.

"Aw, shit. I'm stuck with _you_?" came Yuki's muffled voice.

"Yes, unfortunately for you. I, on the other hand, could care less, but since you're Hiro's brother--"

"Feh. Thought you were still out of the country."

"Nope. Got back yesterday. I could've taken the rest of the week off, but I just couldn't _wait_ to be verbally abused by you so I came back to work early."

Kagome didn't know if she should interupt the two men. "Ano..." she began timidly.

The man turned cool emerald eyes on her and Kagome started. He had Yuki's eyes! Were they related?

"Ah, yes. Higurashi Kagome. It's a pleasure to meet you at last." The man came forward to take her hand in a friendly shake and offered her a handsome smile. "My name is Yamadera Akira. I'm a doctor here at this hospital." He turned his attention back on Yuki. "I'm also Yuki's cousin and just so you know, Yuki and I have never gotten along so please don't be alarmed at the words that will no doubt fly between us. I only agreed to keep an eye on him because Hiro asked me to."

_Yamadera, huh,_ thought Kagome, watching the two men verbally spar with each other. _That's Yuki's and Hiro's last name._

Kagome resumed her seat and stared up Akira, who'd turned to check Yuki's monitors on the other side of the bed. The profile that was presented to her reminded her of Hiro's own good-looking features. Even their hair was similar; both had the same softly tinted brown hair, but Hiro's had a bit of a curl, whereas Akira's was straight. And the fact that they shared the same last name meant that their fathers must be brothers, then. But with Akira's features, he could easily pass for their brother.

"So, you would have let me die?" Yuki asked, a hint of amusement coming through the pain in his voice.

"Probably not," Akira replied, "but it would have been awfully tempting."

Yuki chuckled as best he could. "Why not? Losing your touch, Akira?"

"No." Moving around the bed to stand between Kagome and the patient, Akira took a look at his clipboard and made a few notes. "I would have never forgiven myself if I'd neglected to save my loving aunt and uncle's eldest child... whom they still love very much."

Kagome look around Akira over at Yuki, who was no longer amused. "Get... out, Akira."

"Why? Can't bear to hear the truth?"

"Leave!"

Akira lowered his papers and glared hatefully at his cousin. "They miss you, Yuki, although for the _life_ of me, I can't understand why. You were nothing but a little punk who made their lives miserable while you lived at home and I was glad when you left. You made your mother cry countless times, you bastard."

There was a gasp and one and a half sets of identical, blazing green eyes turned to look at Kagome. Akira turned his back on Yuki, effectively shielding Kagome when he saw that Yuki was opening his mouth, no doubt to say something hurtful to the young woman.

The handsome doctor grinned at her. "As I said, you shouldn't be alarmed at what we say. It's _always_ been like this between us." He offered Kagome his arm. "Shall we leave for a bit? I was informed that you've been here all day, so I figured you must be hungry. I was about to go the cafeteria, but we could go somewhere else, if you prefer."

She got to her feet. "Um, sure. Thank you, Doctor Yamadera." Kagome blushed under his intense green gaze and for a moment, she thought it was Yuki staring at her.

"Oi!" wailed the patient unhappily.

Akira blatantly ignored Yuki's cries. "Please, call me Akira," said the doctor graciously to Kagome. He reached down and grabbed Kagome's coat and purse from the chair before leading her out of the room.

Left alone, Yuki felt like bursting into tears of frustration. Damn Akira! The bastard hadn't even been in the room ten minutes and he'd already managed to snag a date with Kagome. Well, perhaps not a _date_ per se, but he'd gotten her to have a meal with him. Akira had always been a smooth talker, not unlike Yuki himself. But for his cousin to move in on his territory... Life was _so_ unfair!

When Kagome was returned an hour later, Yuki was feverish with worry. Akira brought her into the room and led her straight back to her chair, where he made sure she was situated comfortably before kissing the back of her hand.

"You are the most delightful companion," he murmured appreciatively to her. "I wish to have lunch with you again sometime. Or perhaps dinner? I'm free tomorrow night."

"_WHAT??_" cried Yuki in a panicked voice. "Oi, Akira, you bastard! You can't do that! You hear me? I demand that you leave her alone!" Yuki was flailing his arms and trying to sit up in his bed.

Tossing a dark look over his shoulder at his relative, Akira heaved a sigh. "Would you be quiet, Yuki? You'll disturb the other patients. And you really should lay still, baka, or you'll injure yourself more."

"Oh, Yuki-sama! Please lay still!" Kagome jumped up and rushed to Yuki's side, gently pressing her hands to his chest. "I don't want you to hurt yourself."

The second her hands touched him, he stilled, his one eye staring up at her with wonder. She smiled down at him and lightly pushed him back down to the mattress. His body relaxed and sank back onto the bed.

"That's better. I want you to take care of yourself, Yuki-sama, and I know Hiro would want you to do the same." Leaning forward, she plumped up the pillows under his head. When she moved back, she saw a dazed, starry-eyed look on his face and instantly became alarmed. "Yuki-sama! Are you okay?"

Still gaping up at her open-mouthed and with a brightly flushed face, Yuki nodded slowly. Her chest had been right in his face! He would have given much to have been able to put his face against her and breathe in her scent which was warm and delicate... gardenias, perhaps?

Akira sighed again. "I guess that's a no, Kagome?"

Kagome whirled around, guilt-stricken. "No! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to let you think I was ignoring you!"

The physician laughed heartily. "It's okay! Don't worry about it, my dear." He reached into the inner breast pocket of his coat and pulled out a business card. "Here, take my card. Call me sometime so we can talk about Yuki without him overhearing us." He winked at her and left the room.

"Wait! I'm sorry!" Kagome would have dashed off after him but a hand gripped her wrist tightly. Turning, she saw Yuki looking at her with sadness.

"Don't leave me again," he whispered and pulled her closer to him until she lay half-way on top of him, her face close to his.

Needless to say, Kagome was shocked. "Yuki-sama? What are you--"

"My name is Yuki," he told her as he brought his hand up to cradle the back of her neck. "Just... Yuki."

His head came up and he kissed her startled mouth gently. For a moment, he thought that his heart had stopped beating... but then every nerve ending he possessed stood straight up and yelled for joy, which was immediately followed by a wave of heat that surged through him. _Several times._

On the other end, Kagome thought her heart was going to stop. Yuki? Kissing her? She _never_ would have believed that he would want to do something like that to her. He'd hated her for so long...but now that they were friends...

His lips grew insistent, and she couldn't resist anymore. There was something about this man that made her want him...

_She kissed him back._ She couldn't help it. Despite having been on the receiving end of his intense hatred, she had capitulated when he had begged for her to stay with him and not to leave him alone. His utter helplessness had touched her and his need for her made her happy.

Just as his fingers slid up into her hair, her cellphone went off. She froze. Hearing that particular tune being played, Kagome jerked away from Yuki and turned her back on him, her hand clutching her chest.

_It was Kouga's ringtone._

"Excuse me," she said, grabbing her phone and dashing out of the room. "Moshi-moshi." Her voice trembled slightly and she prayed that he wouldn't detect it.

"Hiya, beautiful! Are you still at the hospital? I was hoping to take you out somewhere today. Wanna see a movie?"

Kagome smiled and dabbed at her eyes. She couldn't break down here, of all places. "Yes, I would love to see a movie with you, Kouga."

"Great! Just give me a few minutes and I'll come pick you up where you're at--"

"No, that's okay. I don't want you to have to drop me off to pick up my car later on. It'd be a hassle for you."

She didn't have to look at him to know he was frowning. "But it _wouldn't_ be a hassle for me, baby, because you know I'd do anything for you." There was a pause and then he asked, "Hey, are you okay? If you're not feeling well, I can come get you. You shouldn't be around all those depressing sick people anyway. Its not good for you."

Unable to help herself, Kagome smiled. "And _you_ shouldn't be worrying about me all the time. That's Sesshoumaru's job."

Kouga chuckled. "Don't forget Hiro. He's just as bad. But seriously, love, do you want me to come get you?"

"Iie. I'll go home in a few minutes. I want to shower and change before we go out."

He purred in her ear. "Let me join you?"

She laughed. "Iie! Don't be silly, Kouga."

A heavy sigh. "Well, it was worth a try. But you'd better get home before I make it there because you'll find me in the shower waiting for you."

When Kagome returned to Yuki's room, she found him struggling to sit up in bed, his eyes dark with worry. "Where did you go? What happened? Is everything alright?"

"Agh! Don't sit up!" Kagome cried and hurried over to his side. "Please, lay down. Yes, everything's fine. I just stepped outside to take a phone call."

"Are you going to leave me?" he asked abruptly.

She stood quite still, her hands still resting against his torso. "Yuki--"

His solitary eye watched her intently. "You are, aren't you?" He waited for her to respond, but she said nothing. "I see. Then you should go. I don't want to keep you."

"Yuki--"

Shaking his head, he looked away from her. Saddened, she turned to gather her things. When she was about walk away, she felt something tugging at the back of her shirt. It was Yuki, who had grabbed hold of her clothing. With her right hand, she grabbed hold of his wrist and he instantly let go of her shirt. He slid his hand down until he was holding her hand, letting his fingers interlace with hers.

"I'll let go you for today, but promise me you'll be here tomorrow. You'll be here tomorrow, right? Promise me or I won't release you."

The pouting frown on his face was adorable. 'He's just like a child,' she thought to herself, feeling a little flutter of joy in her chest. Beneath under all his thorny, crusty layers was a little boy who didn't want to be alone, who desperately wished to be loved and cared for.

"I promise to come back tomorrow, Yuki."

"You're not just saying that, are you? So I'd let you go? I want proof that you mean what you say, Kagome."

Kagome looked puzzled. "How shall I prove to you that I'm telling you the truth?"

There was a mischievious glint in his eye that sent a shiver down her spine. What would he ask of her?

"If you're telling me the truth, then kiss me again." The look on her face amused him. "But if you don't, I won't allow you to leave. Then you'll _hav_e to stay with me for the rest of the night."

"Without letting go?" she asked, amazed.

"Nope. Once I grab onto something, I don't like letting go." The look he gave her left her no doubt what he was talking about.

Nodding, Kagome bent down and as she was aiming for his cheek, Yuki moved his face slightly so that her lips landed on his. When she moved away, cheeks scarlet, Yuki chuckled. "You naughty girl. You were trying to get away with a peck on the cheek. But that's okay, I got what I required. Just remember that you promised me you'd return." He released her hand and let his rest across his abdomen. "Don't forget me."

Slipping into her coat, she smiled at him. "I don't think that would be possible," she told him. "You're a rather interesting person, Yuki." Giving him a wink, she departed, leaving behind a pleased, but already lonely, young man.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A/N: Hey guys! Um...I couldn't help but have Akira in this story too. I'm crazy about the boy, what can I say? Originally, he wasn't supposed to appear in this fic, but I couldn't keep him out of it. I like the rocky relationship between him and Yuki. Just like in For The Better, Akira gets along very well with Hiro in this story, too.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine...but Yuki, Hiro and Akira all are... SO DON'T TOUCH! That's a big no-no! Unless of course you ask me really nicely. I might say yes... . Maybe...

Chapter 12

Kagome got home and headed for the shower. While she was getting dressed, she heard the doorbell ring. Quickly tugging on her shirt, she headed downstairs to open the door.

As always, the sight of Kouga made her mouth water. He was leaning against the doorframe, his tall, powerful body clad in his form-fitting clothes and that leather jacket she loved. His shining black hair fell loose about his face and he lifted a hand to tuck a rebellious lock behind one ear.

When their eyes met, his cool demeanor instantly vanished and he surged forward, his hands reaching for her waist. "Damn, you're beautiful," he whispered hoarsely, as he pulled her close and bestowed an enthusiatic kiss on her lips. "Have I told you I loved you today?" he asked, pushing her gently inside and shutting the door with his foot.

"No, you haven't," came her muffled reply as her arms slipped around his waist. She let her hands creep up his broad back while pressing soft kisses against his throat. "Tell me."

"I love you, Kagome," he said quietly, dipping down to nibble on her neck. "God, I love you so much." His arms tightened around her. "I hope you never leave me."

Time stopped for a moment when he said those words and in her mind's eye she saw Yuki lying in his hospital bed, hand outstretched to her, his one good eye filled with sadness.

_'Please, don't leave me. I don't... want to be alone.'_

'Yuki,' she thought, resting her forehead against Kouga's shoulder. Should she tell Kouga about the kiss? Or rather, _kisses_?

Kouga moved slightly and kissed her again, this time sweeping her up off her feet and carrying her into the living room. He set her down on the sofa and then lay on top of her, never breaking the kiss. Kagome decided that he didn't need to know about it. It was a one-time thing, right? It wasn't as if Yuki really meant it.

As Kouga's hard body slid over hers as smoothly as oiled silk, her mind let go of all thoughts of Yuki and the kiss they shared. It didn't matter now; none of it did. Kouga was here and he loved her, and unlike Yuki, Kouga had never done anything to hurt her. He adored her, made her feel like the only woman in the world when he stared at her with those breathtaking sapphire colored eyes... and he _never_ demanded anything of her that she was not willing to give him.

Even though he never pushed her into having sex, she could sense that his self-control was under a huge strain. She understood that it must be difficult for a man who'd never had a girlfriend who wouldn't allow him to sleep with her. But Kouga handled it beautifully without a single complaint and made the most of the cuddle sessions they had. Kagome adored the way he was so attentive to her, so loving...

"You're perfect," he panted, kissing her throat. "I can't believe you're mine." He smiled against her warm flesh and rubbed the tip of his nose against her. "I'm the luckiest man ever."

Kagome shut her eyes as his breath danced across her skin, sending shivers throughout her entire body. "Oh, Kouga," breathed Kagome ecstatically, wrapping her arms and legs around him. "Kiss me again!"

Happily, he obliged and Kagome felt him ground his pelvis against hers. Her temperature soared and she clung to him...

_But not for long..._

"Ahem!"

The lovers on the sofa started and Kouga quickly removed himself from Kagome's body. Hiro and Sesshoumaru were standing in the doorway. One was smiling; the other was glaring.

"Oh, hey, Sesshoumaru, Hiro. What's going on?" Kouga asked nervously, hoping to kami that Sesshoumaru didn't notice the bulge in his pants. It was funny how Kagome's guardian was the only man he'd ever met that could make him sweat bullets.

With an inward sigh, Kagome got up from the sofa and went over to Sesshoumaru to wrap her arms around his middle. "Please don't frown, Sesshoumaru. Kouga would never do anything bad to me."

Sesshoumaru wrapped his arms around her and held her to him. "He'd better not," he muttered irritably, his eyes never leaving Kouga's reddening face. "I wouldn't take kindly to _my_ baby girl being treated like some common whore."

Nervousness forgotten, Kouga jumped angrily to his feet. _His_ Kagome? Like hell she was! "I would _never_ treat _my_ Kagome that way! She's the most precious thing in my life!"

"_Your_ Kagome, huh?"

"Yes, that's what I said. _My_ Kagome."

"Oh, I don't think so."

Turning her face against his chest, Kagome clutched onto Sesshoumaru tighter. "Please stop! I don't want you fighting because of me!"

"Darling!" cried Sesshoumaru and Kouga together, both upset because she was upset. Frowning, their heads jerked up and they glared at each other.

Standing off to the side, Hiro looked on, his lips twitching with amusement. He had to shove his fist to his mouth to hold back a chuckle. When he could help himself no longer, he burst into laughter.

The other three turned to him with questioning glances. Hiro shook his head and wiped at his eyes. "Gomen nasai! You guys are just so... so..." He laughed again.

"So what?" Again, Kouga and Sesshoumaru spoke in unison.

"You two are alot alike, you know that? I'll bet that once you two get to know each other, you'll be the best of friends." Hiro shot them both an innocent grin. "I mean, you'll _have_ to get along when Kouga marries Kagome, right? Brothers-in-law should at least _try_ to get along with each other."

"Hiro!" Kagome cried reproachfully and red-faced, she jerked away from Sesshoumaru and ran away up the stairs. Kouga called out to her and would have taken off after her had not a powerful hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Where do you think you're going?" intoned an imperious voice behind him.

Kouga threw a look over his shoulder at Sesshoumaru and didn't feel the least bit scared of him. "I'm going to check on _my girlfriend_, if you don't mind. She's upset, if you hadn't noticed."

The hand that clutched his shoulder tightened for a moment then it was released. Kouga saw that Hiro had taken hold of Morikawa's wrist, holding it away from him.

"Please be fair, Sesshoumaru-sama. Kouga loves Kagome very much, you know and you _did_ allow him to date her, after all." He took a step nearer to the pale-haired man. "You gave him your approval, did you not?"

Golden eyes narrowed at Kouga. "I did," he replied, his deep voice saturated with resentment.

"You can't go back on your word, Sesshoumaru. Kagome adores Kouga." Hiro was practically whispering in Sesshoumaru's ear now. "I know you love Kagome more than life itself and that you want her to be happy. Kouga makes her happy, too. Let her be alone with him, okay? You trust Kagome, don't you? You believe what she says, right?"

Sesshoumaru's body stiffened. "Of course I do."

"Then when she says that Kouga wouldn't take advantage of her, she means it. I know for a fact that Kouga treats Kagome like a gentleman--"

"But he was laying on top of her!" Sesshoumaru pointed out peevishly. "What was so gentlemanly about _that_?"

Biting back a sigh, Hiro answered, "Was she fighting him off? Was she in any distress? Or was she holding him close?"

Sesshoumaru's frowned deepened and Hiro went on. "Kagome is a woman, Sesshoumaru, and she can consent to...uh... certain acts of intimacy if she chooses."

Kouga caught Hiro's eye and sent him a look of gratitude before dashing off up the stairs. As for Hiro, he released Sesshoumaru's wrist and stepped back.

"Gomen nasai, Sesshoumaru-sama."

Sesshoumaru shook his head slowly. "No, it's fine. You were entirely correct." He sighed heavily and ran his hands through his hair. "I... I just can't seem to accept the fact that she loves another man."

"You wanted her to choose you after all, didn't you?"

The silver head bowed dejectedly. "I'm afraid so, but I should have known better. She will never see me as anything more than her big brother. I must try very hard to realize that."

Hiro stared at the taller man's back. He felt sorry for Sesshoumaru, but he knew that Kagome had every right to choose to be with anyone she wanted; and unfortunately, that person would not be Sesshoumaru. "If it's any consolation," Hiro murmured gently, "she loved you first. She'll always love you. I don't believe that will ever change."

"I know," came the solemn reply. "I guess this means that I should start letting her go." Sesshoumaru turned to look at Hiro. "But to be honest, I want for her to be with me always. I want to lock her away in my home and never let her out. I don't want to share her with anybody. Is it wrong of me to make such a wish?"

"Well," replied the dark-haired man with a small smile, "imprisoning Kagome wouldn't accomplish much. After all she's been through, I think the best thing you can do for her would be to let her do whatever she wants with her life. And when she's finished exploring her world, perhaps she may come home to you. Like I said, she loves you very much."

A rueful smile crossed Sesshoumaru's lips. "I thank you for your words, Hiro, but it would be foolish of me to hold my breath. I know she loves me, just not in the manner I'd hoped. I'd be a fool to keep believing that she'd want me as a lover... but... some small part of me still has hope."

Grinning, Hiro slapped Sesshoumaru on the back. "That's the spirit, Sesshoumaru-sama! What do the other parts say? Being pessimistic, are they?"

Sesshoumaru's body stilled and his gaze hardened. Hiro, feeling a cold sweat run down his chest, took a step back. "Ano...?"

"The other parts of me want to kill anyone who dares to touch her."

Hiro felt faint. He'd do it, too. Sesshoumaru really _was_ a very scary man when pissed off _and_ he had connections. No doubt that should he wish to have someone 'disappear', all he would need to do was snap his fingers and the problem would be taken care of.

Icy yellow eyes were staring lasers in the direction of the stairs. "If _anything_ fishy is going on with _him_... I trust you will tell me, Hiro." Unblinking eyes shifted slowly to Hiro, causing that one to wonder if he needed to check the front of his trousers. "He slips up _one_ time... _just one_... and he will _never see her again._ You tell him that. I'd tell him myself, but I fear I might attack him." Without another word, Sesshoumaru took his departure, leaving behind a very shaken, white-faced Hiro.

Upstairs, Kagome was wrapped up in Kouga's arms. He'd told her what had gone on downstairs, adding that he was worried Sesshoumaru would tell him to break it off with her. But she went to him and held him, telling him that Sesshoumaru wouldn't do anything to upset her, no matter what.

With a groan, Kouga tightened his grip on her. "I sincerely hope not. I don't know what I'd do without you, Kagome."

She giggled and stood on tiptoes to kiss the tip his chin. "You'll survive, I'm sure," she answered with a smile. "After all, you've lived most of your life without me, right?"

Kouga studied her for a long moment, giving Kagome the impression that he was thinking something over and some strange emotion glimmered in his eyes, as if he'd made up his mind about whatever he was thinking of. "Kouga? What is it?"

Those incredibly blue eyes blinked and his eyes cleared. He smiled down at her. "It's nothing. How about that movie? What would you like to see?"

As she turned away to finish getting ready and telling him about a new movie that had caught her interest, Kouga watched her with a thoughtful gaze. He probably should think about finding out her ring size...and pick a good time to ask her to marry him.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

That evening, after having a very thorough bed bath, Yuki lay back against his pillows, watching the television. Outwardly, he looked as though he was intently into the program. Inwardly, he was frantically wondering what was so important to Kagome that it dragged her away from his side.

Yuki wanted to scream in his frustration. Should he call her? Check up on her? Make sure she was alright? Damn, when would his fucking legs heal?

He flipped through the channels again, wondering why the hell this hospital, with all its advanced technology, didn't have satellite tv. It was appalling! They weren't in a third world country, for heaven's sake.

When he found something semi-interesting, he lay down the remote beside him and attempted to concentrate on the show, but to no avail. He just couldn't keep his mind off of Kagome. What could she possibly be doing? She didn't have a life, he recalled, thinking back on every time he came over for a visit. She and Hiro were always home.

A half-naked man popped up on the tv screen and a _very_ unpleasant thought hit him. Could she be involved with someone? He remembered how she reacted when her cellphone went off. It _did_ seem to have a peculiar ringtone, the kind that was most likely reserved for a certain someone. And then she had jerked away from him as if he'd burned her. Was it a guilty conscience that made her resist his kiss at first?

With a small smile, Yuki tilted his head back and stared up at the ceiling. Ahh...that first kiss. It had been sweet and innocent; better than he could have ever imagined. In short, it was perfect.

But then again, she _was_ an angel, wasn't she? _His_ angel.

Without another thought, he reached over for the phone and quickly dialed her number. If he couldn't see her until tomorrow, hearing her lovely voice would have to do.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The movie had been great even though it was pretty scary. Kouga loved scary movies. She didn't mind them so much, as long as she had him to hold onto. At one point, she'd been so scared that he pulled her onto his lap and held her close against him. He chuckled softly and kissed the top of her head.

Now they were at his favorite restaurant, where she was currently in the bathroom. After washing her hands, she checked her phone to see if there were any missed calls or messages.

The breath caught in her chest when she looked down at the tiny screen. Yuki had called her 15 times... and apparently left a message each time. She listened to the first three messages then stopped. Hearing his poor, panicked voice cry out for her tugged at her heartstrings but she couldn't do anything about that right now.

Or could she?

With a sigh, she dialed his hospital room phone. Uncannily, the first words out of his mouth was "Kagome, where are you?"

"Um, Yuki--"

"No excuses! Where are you? Are you okay? What are you doing? Who are you with? Is it a man?"

When he paused for breath, Kagome spoke. "Yuki, why are you worried about me so much?"

"Why? Can't I be worried about you?" he muttered sulkily.

Kagome frowned. "Well, sure, but Yuki, why? I promised you I'd see you tomorrow. You didn't have to call so much. You should be resting."

There was silence on Yuki's end for a moment. Then he answered slowly, "Why? Because I missed you, that's why. I missed hearing your voice. I wanted to tell you I want you with me. Please come. I'm so lonely here."

"I can't, Yuki, I'm sorry. I'm out with a friend of mine right now."

"It's a man, isn't it?" he asked quietly.

"What difference would it make if it were? I can have male friends, you know."

"Is it a date? Are you on a date with him?"

Unable to take anymore, Kagome steeled herself. He was being just a little too nosy. "Yuki, I really need to go now. My friend is waiting for me. I'm sorry. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Wait! Don't go! I want--"

She lowered the phone and closed it. She hadn't wanted to hang up on him, but she didn't want to tell him about Kouga, either. After all, the reason he'd been in the accident was because he'd seen her in Kouga's arms...

Leaving the bathroom, Kagome ran into Kouga, who was leaning against the wall, waiting anxiously for her. When he saw her, he pushed away from the wall and went to her.

"Hey baby, what happened? Fall in?" he joked, taking her hand in his. But seeing her distraught face, he turned to face her. "Are you okay, Kagome? Are you sick?"

"Iie," she murmured and handed him her phone.

Kouga frowned slightly and opened it, instantly going to the calls received. His eyes widened when he saw the screen. "15 times? Is he kidding?" He closed the phone and handed it back to her. "Were you talking to him just now?"

Kagome nodded, slipping the phone into her purse. "I admit I was worried about him, but I also wanted to check up on him."

"I see." He led her back to their table where their appetizers and drinks were waiting for them. When they sat down, he asked, "Did you tell him about us?"

She shook her head and took a sip of water. "No, I'm sorry. I didn't want to upset him." Setting the glass down, she looked over at her handsome boyfriend. "I don't want him to hate me again."

Kouga reached across the table and grabbed her hand. "Sweetheart, what happened to him wasn't your fault. He was the one who was stupid enough to get drunk and drive and get into that accident. Anyway, once he gets out of the hospital, he'll find out about us from his underlings." He speared one of the stuffed mushrooms with his fork and popped it into his mouth. "Although _why_ he hasn't been told yet doesn't make any sense. Its not like they don't know he's laid up in the hospital. Normally, he's notified of any little thing that concerns his interests. The only thing I can think of is that you have sympathizers high up in his organization."

The startled look on her face prompted him to reassure her. "Oh, but that's a good thing. If you have someone within his organization looking out for you, then you're in good hands. Yuki is notorious for his spying tactics. He'd use any underhanded means to dig up anything he wants to know about anyone." Swiping another stuffed mushroom and wolfing it down, he continued. "Everyone knows about his interest in you and for something like this to be withheld from Yuki, the person looking out for you _must_ be pretty high-ranked in order for it to be kept secret."

As Kagome pondered his words, the waitress appeared with their entrees. Kouga, as usual, as ordered a massive slab of steak, cooked medium rare with potatoes on the side. Watching him devour his food was, as always, a spectacle to behold. The man tore into his food with enough gusto to make any chef worth their salt weep with pride and joy. She, on the other hand, worried that he would choke. Amazingly enough, he never did.

Eating her salad, (and keeping an eye out for a possible choking incident) Kagome wondered who would keep her relationship with Kouga a secret. Did she know this person? Who was it?

But more importantly, she felt, what possible reason could they have for shielding Yuki from the truth?

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The next day, Kagome arrived at the hospital to find Dr. Yamadera sitting beside Yuki, talking to him in low, solemn tones. Yuki's head was bowed, his hands covering his face. His shoulders were trembling.

"Yuki?" she asked, instantly concerned.

Yuki started violently and peered at her through his fingers. "No! Get out of here! You can't see me like this!" he cried frantically.

Akira got to his feet and grasped his cousin by the shoulder. "Yuki, let her see. I sincerely doubt--"

"NO!"

"-- that she'll think any less of you--"

"Get out, Akira. Take Kagome with you. Please."

Kagome looked at Akira, who smiled gently at her. "I think she should stay. Having her around is beneficial to you, Yuki. Go on, my dear. Snap him out of his funk." He winked at her and left them alone, shutting the door behind him.

Setting her packages and purse down on the chair that the good doctor had just vacated, she turned to face him. "Yuki-sama? What's happened?"

Yuki shook his blond head. "I thought I told you to leave. Please go and don't come back."

What _had_ happened to him? she thought curiously, then it hit her all of a sudden. _His hair was uncovered._ The bandages on his face had been removed and for him to act like this must mean that something terrible had just been discovered.

With a tentative hand, she reached out and gently touched his left hand... then noticed that his right hand had also been relieved of its bandages. The pale skin was scarred...

So, that's it, she thought sadly as she pulled his hands away from his face. His face... his beautiful, perfect face... was scarred as well...

He resisted, but only for a moment and allowed her see him. An ugly red scar ran from his right temple, down and across his cheek to just above his upper lip. Another one, much smaller, cut through his eyebrow and ended at the corner of his right eye.

"Yuki," she breathed, lightly running her fingers down his face alongside the bigger scar. "I'm so sorry." She felt her eyes tear up when she saw the devastated look in his eyes.

"I'm... hideous," he whispered brokenly. "No one will want me now." Looking down at his marred right hand, his face crumpled and he began to cry. "Why? Why me?"

Unable to help herself, she grabbed him and hugged him to her. "You're still you, no matter what you look like, Yuki-sama."

With a groan, he shoved her away from him. "_I'm a monster!_" he screeched at her. "Look at me! God... just... look at me...and my legs... Akira says that my right leg is healing more slowly than my left. He says... he says that there's a good chance I'll have a limp for the rest of my life..."

Tears fell unheeded down Kagome's cheeks as she watched him sob like a child in front of her. She didn't know what to do or what to say to make him feel better. All she knew was that she wanted... _needed_... to comfort him.

So moving forward, she sat down beside him on his bed and took his hands in hers. "You may not believe what I say to you, but I still think that you're beautiful."

Yuki shook his head. "Don't lie to me, Kagome. Don't you dare lie to me. I can take it from anybody else, but not from you or my brother, when it comes to that."

She sighed. "Well, how shall I prove to you that I'm not lying?"

A tiny spark lit up his green eyes, but he quickly surpressed it. "If you don't find me a repulsive and hideous freak... then kiss me. Kiss me like you mean it."

Without a word, Kagome took his face in her hands and leaned forward, pressing her lips to his. He sat, motionless, waiting for more... testing her to see if she would go any further.

She did. Her lips moved insistently against his and soon his mouth opened to her. His arms went around her, pulling her to him. His tongue slipped inside her willing mouth while her hands dug themselves into his soft, golden hair.

Cautiously peering into the room, Dr. Akira Yamadera smiled at the two other occupants of the room, who were completely oblivious to his presence. He had known that Kagome could bring Yuki out of his depression and really the scars weren't as bad as they _could_ have been. But Yuki's pride was invested in his spectacular looks and such a large blemish on his pretty face would devastate him. Thankfully, Kagome was such a loving, caring young woman. Of course, he knew about her sad past and if anyone could help Yuki overcome his disfigurements, she could.

As he silently retreated, Akira hoped that Yuki wouldn't fuck up with her. He'd done harm to far too many women owing to his ill-treatment of them. But if Akira found out about Kagome was being mistreated as well, Yuki would pay dearly. Although, somehow, it seemed to be different in Kagome's case. Yuki seemed to care about what she thought. Indeed, he seemed to care about her, _period_. Akira had never known Yuki to demand that someone be by side, other than Hiro. Very odd. She was obviously somebody quite special to his vain, hard-headed cousin.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

Later, when Kagome had managed to squirm away from Yuki's grasp, she dug through her packages and found the ginger cookies Hiro had made for him. "Look, Hiro baked you something."

Yuki took the cookies and smiled guilelessly at her. "I love Hiro's cookies. He makes the best." She nodded and he held his hand out to her. "C'mere," he said, his eyes darkening with passion. "Kiss me again."

"Yuki--"

"Please?"

"I really shouldn't. You need to rest."

"Pfft." Pouting, Yuki crossed his arms over his chest. "I've _been_ resting for far too long. I'm tired of resting! I demand a kiss, woman!" Fire blazed in his eyes for a split second before he smiled sheepishly at her. "Pretty please?"

Kagome felt her heart flutter like an insane butterfly in her chest as his eyes gazed worshipfully over at her. Kouga wouldn't like her being stared at by Yuki like this, she thought, suddenly guilt-stricken. Kouga wouldn't like _any_ of this whatsoever. Should she tell him everything? Honesty demanded that she should, but this would upset him terribly and she didn't want to lose him. He might want to end their relationship after hearing about this.

"I know what I really want for my birthday tomorrow," Yuki's voice broke into her thoughts. "I've been thinking about it a lot lately and I've decided that this is something that I really want."

She sat down beside him on the bed. "Oh, okay. Well, tell me then. Perhaps I can find it for you by tomorrow."

Yuki reached out and touched her face, shaking his head. "Shh. It's my birthday wish. If I say it out loud, it won't come true."

Blushing under his adoring gaze and tender fingertips, Kagome ducked her head. "Aren't you going to eat your cookies? Hiro worked on them until late last night."

Obediantly, Yuki ate a few of his homemade cookies and declared Hiro the best cook in the world. Meanwhile, Kagome wondered how long it would take for Yuki to get used to his scars. Even now, as he brushed ginger cookie crumbs from his bed, his eyes were riveted to his right hand with its blemished flesh and the look on his face was one of revulsion.

When it was time to go several hours later, Kagome allowed him to hold her for a moment. Actually, he'd tricked her into plumping his pillows and when she leaned over to do so, he'd sat up quickly, his arms snaking around her waist. She objected when he did this, but objected even more when he sat her on his lap.

He laughed softly and proceeded to kiss her. "Why do you fight me?" he asked gently, the words muffled against her smooth cheek. "Its not as if we're committing a crime. I mean, we're both single, right?"

Her body stiffened suddenly in his embrace and he pulled away from her. "You _are_ single, aren't you? The last time I checked you were. Right?"

With a sob, she wrenched away from him and turned her back on him. "Of course I'm not married, Yuki-sama," she uttered sadly as she donned her coat and gathered her things. "I wish you a good evening and I will return tomorrow for your birthday. Good night."

Something was wrong, Yuki thought after she left. He sank back against his plumped pillows and stared absently at his blank television. Why was she acting like a skittish horse? Had he touched a nerve? Apparently so, for she couldn't even face him when she had said good night.

_Was she single still?_ Or had some other unscrupulous male snatched her up while he had been unconscious?

No...that was ridiculous. The one he'd left in charge had reported to him only yesterday on how things were running. All their operations were running as smooth as silk, he'd told Yuki. When Yuki had asked about Kagome, the man told him that yes, tabs were still being kept on her and no, she wasn't seeing anyone.

Heaving a relieved sigh, Yuki reached for his remote and with a click, turned on the television. He didn't know what he'd do if she was seeing another man. But what he _did_ know, was that whomever dared touch what was his, would pay with his life.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Yes, that's what I said and make _certain_ that the new guy knows not to open his mouth about it. Got it? If you fuck this up, I will _personally_ order a hit on your wife. Do I make myself clear?"

The terrified man on the other end of the phone quickly acknowledged that he understood quite well and promised not to fuck up.

"Good, because I'd hate to have to do it, Kanako. Your wife is a good woman. Good night." The phone was snapped shut and the dark-haired gentleman sat wearily back in his chair. Fear was a good motivator for people to _not_ screw up simple assignments and this assignment was one of the simplest. All they had to do was pretend that Kagome wasn't seeing Yuki's one-time personal assassin, Kouga.

Simple, right? Sure. Easy as pie.

He couldn't let her get hurt by Yuki any more than she'd been already. Hearing Yuki joke with his friends about wanting to bed Kagome had _really_ pissed him off. She hadn't deserved such disgusting treatment. But as long as he was in temporarily in charge, he'd make certain that her relationship with Kouga was kept under wraps. He would let her be happy with a man who worshipped her.

Getting to his feet, he stretched his arms upwards. A small succession of pops in his spine brought a smile to his handsome face. Damn, that felt good!

His cellphone rang softly and frowning, he looked down at it to see who was calling him. The frown slid away and a gentle smile took its place. He answered it.

"Hi, baby. No, I'm fixing to leave now. Uh huh. Oh, hey, how about we order in tonight? I want to see you in that sexy black teddy you bought me for my birthday. Yeah, I know. I love you, too, Sango..."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A/N: Hey guys! I can't believe that last bit of intrigue managed to sneak in there! . It wasn't a part of the original storyline, but it sounded good to me, especially when Kouga was going on about it earlier in the chapter. I really didn't foresee it, but its okay! Oh, and _please_ don't think Kagome is a slut. Yuki is rather... um... forceful at times and impossible to resist. I wouldn't resist him for one minute! XD

I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

rsb


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Chapter 13

The next morning when Yuki woke up, he lay motionless for several long moments, remembering the events of the day before. The joy of advancing yet another year today seemed dim in comparison to the horrible revelations that had been brought home to him.

He was disfigured, quite possibly for life. His looks, his perfect face and body...ruined. There would be pain, too. Pain in his right leg would be great without any painkillers.

Of course, Yuki asked if his leg could be fixed with surgery, and Akira told him that there was a good chance that after having corrective surgery, his leg would heal completely.

"I understand how hard this must be for you," Akira had said, for once without a trace of malice, "but overall, it isn't that bad. You were really very lucky, you know. Most people in your place would either have been killed on contact or horribly disfigured for life."

"But I _am_ horribly disfigured for life," moaned Yuki tragically. "Look at me, Akira. Honestly, would you date someone who looks like me?"

Akira's lips twitched slightly, but his eyes twinkled with supressed laughter. "Honestly? No. I prefer brunettes and besides, you're not my type."

"Oh my god, you're gay."

His cousin rolled his eyes. "Oh, for pete's sake, Yuki, you know very well that I'm not gay."

Yuki glared at Akira and flapped his hand in his direction. "But enough about _you_. This isn't about you. This is about _me_. Talk about _me._ What can I do about my face? How soon can I get cosmetic surgery? Today? Can I get it done today?"

"No, you can't get it done today, baka. Look, your facial scars can slowly fade over time. Now, I can get you this excellent over-the-counter cream--"

"Over-the-counter?! Fade over time? No, I won't accept that, Akira. I want them gone _now_. Do you hear me?"

Leaning back in his chair, Akira crossed his long legs and glared at his cousin. "You know, if you weren't so obnoxiously conceited, more people other than Hiro and Kagome might actually like you."

"Kagome likes me? Really?" Yuki blinked, surprised. "She likes me? I thought she was just being nice to me. Did she tell you that? What did she say?"

"She didn't have to tell me anything. The look on her face when she spoke of you spoke volumes." Akira sighed, his eyes sliding up so his gaze was trained on the ceiling. "She's such a sweet young woman. I hope she finds a man worthy of her one day."

"Oi! What are you talking about, Akira! Don't say such things!"

Akira's steady green gaze slid down to Yuki's red face. "Don't say what? That I hope she finds a good man someday? You're not wishing her ill luck are you, Yuki? Or is there another reason you don't want her looking for happiness elsewhere?"

Yuki's face darkened. "Actually, no, I _don't_ want her looking somewhere else." He leaned back against his pillows, arms grumpily crossed over his chest. "I want her looking right _here_ for her happiness."

"You? Make her happy? You're joking, right?" The doctor laughed heartily.

"Shut your face, asshole," Yuki snapped angrily. "I _can _make her happy. Just you wait and see."

After staring at Yuki for a moment, Akira burst into laughter again. "Oh my god, are you making an attempt to be serious? That's just..." Fresh laughter filled the room.

"I _am_ serious," said Yuki quietly. "I've never been more serious in my life, Akira." He looked down and uncrossed his arms to study his right hand. "I've acted terribly towards Kagome in the past and I know that I don't deserve her kindness now. But when I'm with her, I feel so..."

Impressed by his cousin's rare display of tender feelings, Akira stopped laughing and listened intently. "You feel so...?" he prompted gently.

Yuki looked at him, some powerful emotion glowing in his eyes. "Complete," he said, frowning a little as he did so, as if he couldn't believe what he was saying. "I've... _never..._ felt like this before with anyone. It's a weird feeling." He was silent for a moment then asked, "She really likes me?"

Akira nodded, sending a small smile Yuki's way, causing the blond to blush like crazy. "Wow. I mean... _wow_. Really?"

The doctor leaned forward and lowered his voice. "Yes, really and before you say anything, I believe that she'll see past your wounds. A girl like her doesn't judge people like you tend to do at times... no, scratch that. Like you do _all_ of the time. Just keep doing what you're doing and she'll warm up to you even more."

"No, don't raise my hopes like that," whimpered Yuki, covering his face with his hands. "I couldn't bear it if she was disgusted by me."

That was when she walked in. He hadn't been prepared to show her his face yet and suddenly, he felt incredibly afraid. What would she say? How would she react when she looked at him and saw him?

But, as usual, she treated him with kindness even though in a moment of panic, he'd pushed her away. Kindness was something he really didn't deserve, considering all he'd done to her in the past several months. He'd been so cruel to her. He even remembered the little maid comment from that day he'd first come to her house to look for Hiro. The look on her face had only made him laugh on the inside. She looked so weak and was so dependent on Hiro, that he couldn't help but hate her for being such a wimpy, clingy creature. Of course, that was before he'd discovered what had gone on in her past.

His thoughts were interrupted by a nurse bringing in his breakfast. "Good morning, birthday boy. How are you feeling?"

Yuki looked at her as he sat up, giving her one of his sexy smiles. "I'm fine, thank you and very well rested."

The nurse laughed. "Getting tired of being in bed?"

"You could say that." Yuki liked this nurse. She was an older woman, charmingly plump and always so cheerful.

"Wow, so you're thirty-one today. Such an advanced age."

"Agh, don't remind me!" Yuki exclaimed with a pained expression. "I'm positively ancient."

"Nonsense. So, is your lovely young lady coming to see you today?" she asked conspiratorily, placing the tray in front of him on his overbed table and rolled it to him.

He nodded as she raised the head of his bed so he could sit upright more comfortably. "Yes, but I wish I could truly say that she was _my_ young lady."

"Oh, look at you! You're a handsome devil with a smooth tongue and you haven't managed to snag her?" She laughed heartily and shook her head. "What are you waiting for? Ask her out already! A sweet girl like that is bound to have men scrambling over each other to capture her and with you holed up here--"

Wincing, Yuki lifted a hand to stop her. "Yes, yes, I get it. I'll ask her out as soon as possible." He picked up his glass of cranberry juice and stared down into it. "I hate to admit it, but I'm afraid."

"You? Afraid? Of what? You're a beautiful young man with confidence dripping out of every pore. Who wouldn't want you?" She reached over and ruffled his unruly golden hair. "I can't believe that you're unsure of yourself. Personally, I've never met a haughtier, cockier man than you." She shot him a grin and a wink.

"Thanks," he muttered goodnaturedly, trying to hide his smile. "You've been talking to my cousin, haven't you?"

"Well..."

"That means you have, but don't let him fool you. Akira's just as bad as I am." He grinned over at her.

oooo

As the day progressed, several bouquets of flowers arrived, along with cards and balloons. They filled the room which cheered Yuki considerably. But he didn't want flowers, cards and balloons. There was only one thing he wanted... and she hadn't arrived yet.

Around one o'clock, Kagome finally made her appearance. Hiro and Akira had already come and brought Yuki's strawberry cake and buttercream icing topped with pink buttercream roses; his favorite childhood dessert. Hiro had ordered an extra large one so that everyone on that floor could have a piece if they wished. For once, Yuki didn't mind sharing.

People drifted in and out of Yuki's room for hours, some of them friends, some of them colleagues, some of them hospital workers or patients. Hiro and Akira helped Kagome cut up the huge cake and hand the slices out while Yuki talked and laughed with his friends.

Eventually, everyone left, leaving just the four of them. While Yuki was opening up his last present, Hiro and Akira looked on and realized while Kagome looking away, cleaning up some wrapping paper off the floor, the patient was watching her with such an expression of desire and longing that Hiro grabbed his cousin by the arm and propelled him out the door.

_"Did you see that?"_ Hiro hissed, flabbergasted.

Akira nodded. "Yes, I saw. It's a good thing, you know. That girl has helped him heal faster than we expected him to. If he's falling in love with her, then I'm all for it... from a medical standpoint, of course. Since she's been here today, he hasn't once complained about his scars, and you know he loves to complain about any little thing."

"Yes, I know," Hiro agreed automatically, "but there's one snag with your plan to hook them up."

"And that is?"

Hiro frowned. "Kagome _has_ a boyfriend already. A boyfriend, I might add, that is head over heels in love with her."

"Hmm." Akira looked away for a moment, a thoughtful frown on his handsome features. "That may be, but I don't think she's in as much love with him as he is with her."

"What do you mean?"

Intent green eyes shifted in Hiro's direction. "You didn't see the way she kissed Yuki yesterday," he replied smugly.

_"Nani?!"_ Hiro's eyes bulged from his sockets.

Akira nodded. "I know. It floored me, too. But when I took her out for a bite the other day--"

"Damn it, Akira, what _else_ have you done with Kagome?!" he squeaked furiously.

"Calm down, Hiro, it was only lunch. Poor girl was hungry. Besides, it was fun to watch Yuki practically lose his mind as I dragged her away from him." Akira chuckled gleefully at the memory.

"Oh, my god," Hiro groaned. "I can't believe Kagome kissed him. That _isn't_ good."

"Well, other than the boyfriend, is there any problem with that? I mean, I hate to admit it, but those two are perfectly suited to one another."

Hiro rubbed his eyes wearily. "Yeah, there's a problem, alright, and his name is Morikawa Sesshoumaru."

Akira looked startled. "The businessman? _That_ Morikawa?"

"_That_ Morikawa," replied Hiro, paling. "Damn, if _he_ finds out about this..."

"About what? Kagome and Yuki? Why, what's wrong with that? I mean, Yuki's not in line for sainthood, but--"

Grabbing his cousin by the arm, Hiro hissed in his ear, "If he finds out, then Yuki is fucked, okay? Sesshoumaru, with his vast network of informants knows about pretty much everything... _even that foolish bet_."

"But what has that to do with anything?"

"Sesshoumaru is Kagome's guardian, remember and he too is crazy about her. Like, crazy in love with her, kind of crazy."

"Oh." As Akira pulled away, the situation finally sunk in. His eyes widened. "Oh! Well, that's not good, is it?"

"No, it's not. Hey, come on. I'm in desperate need of a smoke."

oooo

In the room, Kagome wondered where Hiro and Akira went to. Her thoughts must have shown on her face, for Yuki grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. "Forget about them. Come and give the birthday boy his birthday kiss."

As usual, Kagome protested, and as usual, Yuki ignored them. His arms went around her and pulled her onto his lap, smiling contentedly into her eyes. He blinked once and his gaze fell to her lips. Leaning forward, he let his tongue dart out and lap at her lips. "Mmm, icing. Wait a second."

He reached out with his left arm and dragged the tip of his index finger along the bottom of the cake, which sat on the overbed table that was near his bed. Turning back to her, he ran his icing-coated finger over her lips, completely covering them. Licking his finger clean and with a seductive smile, he bent his head and kissed her lips, letting his tongue run lightly over them.

Kagome lay stunned in his warm embrace. How he could make her feel this way, as though her entire body thrummed like a high voltage wire? It blew her mind. All he did was put icing on her lips and kissed her tenderly.

She felt a large, gentle hand bury itself in her hair and she whimpered into his mouth. Her hands, which seemed to have wills of their own, wrapped around his neck and her fingers ran through his cool, silken hair.

At last, she broke away, panting. "N-no more, please. Yuki, this has to stop. Let me go."

Heavy-lidded eyes watched her languidly. "I don't want to stop. I want more, Kagome. Much, _much_ more."

She shook her head, feeling uncomfortable with the look that burned in his cool, emerald eyes. "No, Yuki. Please release me."

He shook his head. "Nope. I won't do that, Kagome, sorry. I want you."

Upon hearing those words, Kagome knew she was in trouble. "Don't say something you don't mean, Yuki-sama."

"I _do_ mean it, Kagome."

"No! Let me go! I need to leave." She struggled in his grip and seriously considered calling for help.

"But I _want_ you to stay," he murmured, lowering his head to nuzzle the side of her neck. "Please stay with me and never leave me, Kagome. I go crazy when we're apart, you know that? It feels as if you take a huge chunk of my soul with you when you leave. I want you to stay, so I can feel whole. Please... make me feel whole," he whispered, his hand reaching for her shirt and sliding beneath it.

Her panicked heart slammed against her ribs. _"No!"_ she cried and shoved herself away from him. She scrambled out of arm's reach, trembling with fright and anger. _"I won't do this! He loves me!"_ The second the words left her mouth, her eyes flew open and she clapped hands over her mouth.

"Nani?" In his bed, Yuki sat completely still, his face darkening with anger. _"He?_"

Kagome felt the blood drain from her face. Had she just gotten Kouga into trouble? Hiro had warned her how cruel he could be when Yuki didn't get his way. She couldn't do that to Kouga!

Quickly, she went to gather her things. "G-gomen nasai. I have... have to..."

"Don't you dare leave, Kagome," Yuki uttered quietly, carefully suppressing his fury. "He, who, Kagome?" Her back was to him and he saw that her slim shoulders were trembling. His anger abated and he went on, "I'm not mad at you Kagome, but could please tell me who _he_ is?"

She shook her head. "Iie, its nothing. Sumimasen." Taking on last look at him over her shoulder, she said, "Happy birthday, Yuki-sama." Then she was gone.

oooooooooooooooooo

Kagome bolted from the room and ran down the hallway, tears streaming from her face. Thankfully, Hiro and Akira were no where to be seen, so she was able to escape from the floor unnoticed and subsequently from the hospital.

As she drove out of the parking garage, Kagome wondered if she should call Hiro and explain what happened. Her hand went to her cell phone, but pulled it back. No, she couldn't bother him with that. Besides, he'd probably already said goodbye to Yuki by now; he had another date with his young lady tonight and he needed to go home to get ready.

Likewise, she couldn't call Sesshoumaru. He was extra busy right now and this wasn't important enough to disturb him with. Besides, he intensely disliked Yuki as it was and something like this would only anger him.

That left Kouga, Sango and Miroku. Kouga, obviously was out of the question. How does one go about telling one's boyfriend that they had been kissing another man?

As she reached for her phone, more hot tears fell and she ran the tip of her tongue over her lips. She could still taste the icing...

Sango picked up on the third ring. "Moshi-moshi?"

"S-sango-chan," Kagome managed through her tears, after forcing herself to pull her car over as her guilt and sobs overwhelmed her.

Her friend was instantly alarmed. "Kagome! Oh my god, are you okay? What's happened?"

Kagome did her best to explain what happened and eventually Sango got the full story. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm so sorry! But it wasn't your fault! I'm sure if you explained it to Kouga, he'd understand. He _worships_ you, Kagome-chan."

On the other end of the phone, the sound of an upset male voice speaking to Sango could be heard, followed by the sound of a door opening and shutting. Kagome asked who it was. She didn't want anyone else other than Sango to know about her disgraceful behavior.

"Oh, that's just Miroku. He won't say a thing, I swear."

"What?" Kagome felt her insides clench up. "How does he...?"

"He overheard the whole conversation, Kagome. I had you on speaker phone when he came out of the shower. That's okay, right? Besides, you and Miroku have been friends longer than you and I have. He cares alot about you and he won't say anything about it. Funny, though. He seemed really upset about something. Said he needed to get some air. A headache, I think. He's been getting alot of them lately."

"I see. Of course," Kagome mumbled automatically. Her head felt numb and she desperately wished to get out of the city. "Um, I have to go now, Sango-chan. I need to stop and...grab something to eat."

"Oh, okay. Well, call me later, alright?"

"Of course," she said again. "Bye, Sango-chan."

Kagome didn't get anything to eat. Instead, she stopped for gas, paying in cash and headed out of town. She drove for over an hour until she reached a lovely scenic spot that overlooked a dark, mist-covered forest that had not yet been touched by spring's greenery. Mt. Fuji lay in the background, grand and imperious, like a wise old matriarch.

After finding a nice, comfortable boulder on which to sit, Kagome situated herself and pulled her legs up to her chest and sat like that for a very long time. She watched as the overcast skies began to darken and even as the temperature dropped, she shivered slightly but still, she did not move.

Her mind continuously went over Yuki and the buttercream-flavored kiss, only to send her thoughts straight to Kouga and guilt crushed her soul a little more each time.

Should she have said anything to Sango? In hindsight, probably not. Heaven knew that she was a burden on so many people already... why should she bother Sango-chan with her personal problems?

She shivered again, a little more violently. Perhaps she should have brought a heavier coat with her. But then, why shouldn't she suffer? Hadn't she been unfaithful to Kouga, the man who loved her and made it a point to let her know every single day? He told her once that he was afraid that if he died, she would never know how he felt about her so he began telling her each day that he loved her.

The tears began to flow again and she lowered her head so that her forehead touched her knees. She didn't deserve him. Not after allowing Yuki to touch and kiss her like that...

A slight sound came from behind her and as she turned to see what it was, a large, _very warm_ leather jacket was draped over her shoulders.

"Are you alright?"

Kagome nodded, feeling her heart squeeze painfully when she looked up at Kouga. His gentle azure gaze ran over her, taking in her appearance until she had to look away. Yuki's handprints were all over her and she felt as though they had been burned past her clothes and into her skin.

He let loose a weary sigh and sat beside her on her rock. "Hiro called me," he said without preamble. "He was worried sick when he and Akira discovered that you were gone."

She hung her head. "I didn't mean to upset anyone. I didn't even think they would notice my absence."

"Well, they noticed."

Silence fell and they sat, not speaking, for several moments. Kouga was the first to speak.

"Are things so bad that you can't even talk to _Hiro_ about it?"

She shook her head. "I didn't want to bother him, or anybody else for that mater. It's my problem, after all."

"Kagome, I... I know about what's been going on. Between you and Yuki. I know he's kissed you."

"How?" Her eyes slid shut. _Oh, please no..._

"When Hiro found you gone, he went in to see Yuki, who was sitting up in bed, cursing himself up and down. It took awhile, but Hiro finally got him to say what happened. Needless to say, Hiro was livid. He threatened to never speak to Yuki again if something happened to you."

Turning to him, Kagome cried, "I'm sorry, Kouga! I wanted to tell you, to come clean... but I couldn't because I couldn't bear to hurt you! Now I know that you know... but all this could have been avoided if I'd only... You must hate me now--"

Kouga's arms went around her and his lips pressed against hers, silencing her. Swallowing her sobs, she melted against him, and grabbed hold of the front of his t-shirt. The heat from his body began to warm her from the inside out.

_I do love him! I do..._

He pulled away slightly and stared down at her. "Don't cry, beautiful. I thought you knew by now."

Confused, she blinked up at him. "Kouga?"

Brushing a light kiss against her lips, he smiled sweetly down at her. "Hey. Have I told you I loved you today?"

His face became a huge, watery blur and she bowed her head, her face crumpling. "N-no. T-tell me."

She was instantly enfolded in his arms. "God, I love you so much. So very much." He kissed her forehead. "I'm so freakin' in love with you. But it was only a few kisses, right? Perpetrated by _him_."

_I can't lie to him. I have to tell him..._

She shook her head. "No. There was one--"

"Yeah, I know about that one, too," he answered sadly. "Akira said that he saw you lean over and kiss him. But Yuki wanted to see if you thought he was disgusting and seeing how kind you are to everybody... Well, of course you would oblige him."

His arms tightened around her. "There was something else Yuki said to Hiro. He said... he'd never meant to scare you, but he couldn't figure out another way to tell you that he loved you and wanted to be with you."

Her heart began to pound frighteningly fast in her chest. "Yuki... _loves me?_"

Kouga could feel the beating of her heart speed up when she spoke those words, and hearing the hope in her voice wrought a devastating blow to him. Ever since the night of the accident, he felt her begin to slip away from him and it terrified the hell out of him. He hadn't known the reason until last night when he discovered that Yuki had called her numerous times and it made him think. When had she ever trusted Yuki enough to give him her number?

Something must have happened between the two of them for her to give out her number and for Yuki to call her so persistently. Had more than kisses passed between them?

And then... today. Hiro told him that Akira had witnessed her willingly kiss Yuki, allowing him to hold her close against him...

_Just like he was doing now..._

So, swallowing his emotions as best he could, Kouga tightened his grip on her. "If you love him, you should let him know."

"Huh?" Kagome wrenched away from him and stared up wildly at him.

Taking a deep breath, trying his damnedest to ignore the feeling of his heart being ripped to shreds, he went on. "You aren't in love with me, are you? I know you're not, so please don't lie to me to spare me the truth. He--" Kouga paused, feeling his eyes tear up. "He told Hiro he can't live without you. I... completely understand how he feels."

Kagome was shaking her head slowly. "No, Kouga, don't do this! I _do_ love you. I do!" She threw her arms around him and buried her face against his neck, tears streaming down her cold cheeks. "I never meant--"

"I know, beloved," he interrupted quietly, "and I enjoyed every minute we spent together. But don't think that once you belong to him that I'm going away. I love you, Kagome, and nothing will change that. If you ever need me, I'll be there for you."

"But your next girlfriend won't like that very much, I'll bet," she murmured softly.

"What next girlfriend? I honestly don't see myself having one. Oh, I bought you something today, but it doesn't make much difference now." He stared down at her gravely and slipped his hand into the right pocket of his jacket that covered her. From the pocket he pulled out a small velvet box and opened it, his blue eyes staring disconsolately at its contents. He turned it around so that she could see.

_It was a platinum and diamond engagement ring. _

While Kagome was stunned into silence, Kouga told her, "Last night I made up my mind to ask you to marry me before I lost you completely. I wanted to take you away from him; far, far away so you'd never have to look at him again. I guess I was too little, too late, huh?"

Now completely overwhelmed and feeling more wretched than she'd felt in a long time, Kagome fell forward against him and wept inconsolably onto his chest, soaking the front of his shirt.

He swept her up and sat her on his lap so he could hold her closer. "Shh. Please don't cry." With a gentle hand, he wiped away her tears. "If you find that he's not the man for you, I'll be waiting for you. Okay? I'm not going anywhere and whether you want it or not, I'm yours... heart and soul, mind and body. All you have to do is say the word and I'll be by your side."

Listening to his warm, soothing voice, Kagome felt comforted and soon, her sobs subsided. Several minutes had passed before she spoke. "I... don't know what I feel about him. When he tried to... slide his hand up my shirt, I was scared and... I didn't want to betray you." Shifting her gaze up to look at him, she reached up to touch his face. "But I'm telling you that I _do_ love you, Kouga. You're the first man who made me feel sexy... and desirable. Do you really think I'd move on so easily? Everything you felt from me, every emotion, was real; very, _very_ real." She pulled his head down and kissed him.

It took all his willpower to break her entrancing kiss. "Baby, there's another reason to break it off between us, although even _if_ he found out, I personally could care less."

"What? Why?" she panted, allowing him to nuzzle her neck.

"Yuki's demanded that his associates find out everything about all of the people you've come in contact with. Apparently, not knowing the identity of this mystery man you spoke of is driving him crazy and he's out to get rid of the competition by any means necessary. But don't worry, Kagome. I also discovered that I was correct in thinking that you have a friend in his organization. This friend contacted me today and told me that not only is Yuki planning on having your secret admirer rubbed out, but he feels that someone has been lying to him to keep him in the dark about what's really going on with you."

"Oh no! Kouga! What are you going to do if he--"

Kouga pressed a finger to her lips. "He won't. Your friend is just as ruthless as Yuki is and has managed to... _persuade_ the others to say nothing about the two of us. The friend wanted me to stay away from you for awhile, just until Yuki's investigations are over with."

"So, you're doing this to protect us?"

He nodded. "Yes, but this is mainly to protect you, Kagome. I don't think Yuki'd come after you for refusing to tell him that you were seeing someone else, but I'm not going to take that chance. If he did anything to hurt you out of revenge, I'd kill him without batting an eye." Before she could protest, he silenced her with a quick kiss. "But never mind that. Come on, it's getting dark. Let's get you home."

As they neared her car and his motorcycle that sat right beside it, a thought struck Kagome. "By the way, how did you find me? Did you follow me?" she asked, slipping her hand from his.

"Nope. Ginta did. He just happened to be filling up at the gas station at the same time you were. He called out to you, but you didn't seem to hear him and then he noticed how upset you looked, so on a hunch he decided to follow you just in case something happened to you. When you stopped out here, he called me and of course, I had to come when my lady was feeling sad. Couldn't let you be alone, now could I?" He pulled her close and leaned back against the side of her car, his hands gripping her waist.

A long, passion-filled moment passed and Kouga crushed her to him when he raised his head. "Yuki may have eyes in all sorts of places, but he can't see everything. I'll find a way to be with you, Kagome." He kissed her again. "Damn, I can't seem to leave you alone, can I?" he asked with a rueful smile.

She smiled wistfully up at him and shook her head. "But I wouldn't want you to leave me alone, Kouga." Her arms wound around his neck and she sighed, feeling so safe and loved in his arms. "Hey, have I told you I loved you today?"

Kouga grinned down at her. "Yeah, you did, but tell me again."

"I love you, Kouga."

"I love you too, sweet cheeks."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Yuki, you can't leave yet! Akira said it wouldn't be wise for you to--"

"Fuck Akira and what he says! I can't stand to be cooped up in here anymore! Here, start packing my shit!" Yuki flung his overnight bag at Hiro.

Hiro caught it easily, looked at it, scowled and flung the bag on the floor. "I'm not your fucking servant, Yuki! Just listen to yourself! You're not following your doctor's orders. Akira _specifically_ said that he wanted to keep you here until your casts come off in a few weeks. He wants to make sure your leg--"

"Fuck my leg!" Yuki roared. "Look, the woman I plan on spending the rest of my life with is out there, right now, with some... some... _man_ who wants her too! If I stay here, I'm out of the loop and I can't afford that anymore if I'm going to find out who _he_ is. So, as of tomorrow, I'm taking back control of my empire and that means," he said, jerking his thumb towards the door, "getting the _fuck_ out of here. Make sense now?"

"Oh my god, you're obsessed," Hiro moaned. He glided towards the chair beside Yuki's bed and sank heavily down upon it. Inwardly, he was panicking. When Yuki regained total control, there would be no way to keep Kagome's relationship with Kouga a secret. Yuki would find out and destroy Kouga. He couldn't allow that to happen! Despite Akira observations, Hiro knew without a doubt that Kagome loved Kouga and if he proposed to her right now, she would accept. "I'd hoped and prayed it was just a phase."

"Nope, not a phase. I'm completely and utterly obsessed. _She's mine_," the blond man muttered stubbornly, "and I won't have some two-bit loser standing in the way of getting what I want."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Miroku was furious. How that bastard Yuki managed to live with himself while destroying other people's lives was beyond his comprehension.

So, he wanted full control back, huh? He could have it... along with all the headaches it brought.

And as for Kagome... damn it, that really chafed his ass! Poor girl was perfectly content with Kouga until _he_ had to go feel her up and steal kisses from her. Overhearing the part where Yuki tried sliding his hand up her shirt made Miroku see red. Kagome didn't deserve such disgusting treatment.

After he'd left the apartment, he drove downtown to a payphone and from there called Kouga to relay the news. Kouga, as usual, took everything in stride and agreed that temporarily ending the relationship would be the best course of action. He didn't want to do it, but for her sake, he'd do anything to protect her from Yuki's wrath.

As he drove home, a thought hit him. Yuki had no idea that Kouga and his friends were close with Kagome. Sure, Yuki had witnessed the guys being friendly to her that day in the mall but that was all. That was nothing new, Miroku thought with a smile. Kagome was nice to everybody.

Yes... he could talk Yuki into allowing Kouga and his boys to be around her in the pretense of protecting her from the mysterious man who loved her. Yuki would think it was alright, since Kouga was exactly like him when it came to women. Or rather, Kouga _used_ to be like him, but thanks to Kagome, he'd become human, along with Ginta and Hakkaku.

Thinking back, Miroku remembered the first time he groped Kagome. She told him it wasn't nice to touch women's bottoms, but that he was such a handsome young man that he didn't need to get a girl's attention that in that manner. When she said it, she gave him such a sweet, angelic smile that he could never bring himself to feel her up again. He didn't think he'd ever grope again... until Sango came along, that is.

But when Kagome had admonished him like that, she became the first woman who he'd ever completely respected. He had deserved it and was well aware of it, but he'd been instantly entranced by the girl with the sad brown eyes. Instead of walking away to find another bottom on which to feel, he hung around and little by little, they became friends. He'd even gotten together the nerve to ask her out, but she gently refused, telling him that he could do better than she but that she would love it if they remained friends.

They had... and there was no way he'd let her suffer at Yuki's hands for anything in the world, even if he found out about how his guys had been manipulated and bullied into silence by him. Miroku would rather face Yuki's wrath than see Kagome cry.

He only hoped that the mens' silence and Yuki's memory loss held.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A/N: I hope everyone out there remembered Pearl Harbor on December 7. It was 65 years ago that day when many, many of our brave soldiers perished so horrifically. Over 2,300 lives were lost that day. Even though it was perpetrated by Japan, I do not hate them. I love and admire the nation of Japan and its people (especially its anime!).

Thanks! I had to to mention this, for it's important to me.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Chapter 14

True to his word, Yuki resumed control of his businesses. But on the night of his birthday, he and Akira had bumped heads on his leaving the hospital. Akira was weary of arguing; hell, he was just weary of Yuki altogether. Once he signed the papers for his cousin's discharge, he refused to speak to Yuki and instead, gave Hiro a message to relay to the hard-headed bastard.

"Tell him that he'd better check in with me on a regular basis and to get a nurse to help him immediately, like, tonight. I'm not bullshitting with him, Hiro. If his _royal highness _doesn't want to piss or shit all over himself, then he'd better get one. I trust you'll handle this?" Akira handed him a business card with the name of a nursing agency. "They're excellent. If you can, request Kaede. She's the best nurse I've ever worked with."

Glancing at the card, Hiro nodded. "Sure, I'll get it done. Oh, about this Kaede. What's she like?"

Akira's green eyes twinkled mischieviously. "Let me put it to you this way. Kaede is _exactly_ what Yuki needs."

Watching his cousin walk away whistling a cheerful tune, Hiro shook his head. Really, that man was _way_ too much like Yuki.

He looked down at the card in his hand. Kaede, huh? Well, Akira _was_ a doctor. He'd know about stuff like that.

With a shrug, he flipped open his phone and dialed the nursing agency. Like Akira said, he requested Kaede and was surprised that the woman on the other end knew who she was without him giving Kaede's last name. Kaede was available, she told him and asked when she was needed. Hiro explained that his brother was being difficult and demanded to be sent home from the hospital tonight, but now that he was discharged, he would need home care since both of his legs were in casts.

"Oh, a feisty one, is he?" asked the woman on the other end. "Perfect. That's just what Kaede prefers. The patient's address please? She will be over tonight."

oooooo

Once Yuki and Hiro reached Yuki's cold penthouse, Hiro wheeled his brother into the living room and left him to turn up the heat and turn on some lights.

"But I don't want a nurse!" complained the invalid testily. "Just bring me Kagome! She'll take care of me."

Hiro sighed. "I don't think Kagome would want to empty your urine bag, Yuki. It might put her off."

Yuki sat for a minute lost in thought. "You're right, Hiro. Can't have that. But I _do_ need her here to bathe me so... you'll have do it."

"I'd rather leave you like this, stuck in your wheelchair, on your balcony in the middle of winter and _completely naked_,you filthy bastard," came Hiro's angry reply, "than to touch _that thing_." He pointed at Yuki's urine bag. "I swear, the crazy shit that comes out of your mouth. It's insane."

"Then put on some gloves."

"Fuck you."

The doorbell rang and Hiro went to answer it, praying that it was the nurse coming to rescue him from touching Yuki's piss. A short, heavy woman with gray hair and a grandmotherly face stood without. Her bags were sitting on either side of her and her coat was draped over one plump arm.

"Good evening," she said briskly with a short bow. "I'm Kaede."

All at once, Akira's request for this particular nurse made perfect sense. Beneath her sweet, cherubic appearance was a woman who wouldn't take bullshit from anybody. He smiled gratefully at her. "Hello, my name is Yamadera Hiro and this," he said, swinging the door wide open for her to see, "is my brother, Yuki."

Hiro could almost hear Kaede's mind whirring in her assessment Yuki, who glared at her from his wheelchair.

"Wait a fucking minute! I didn't order that! I wanted Kagome! Bring me Kagome, damn it!"

Kaede picked up her bags and marched right in. Setting them down, she opened one and removed her stethoscope and slid it around her neck. She also withdrew a bottle of hand sanitizer and a handful of latex gloves and shoved them into the pockets of her scrubs. With supreme efficiency, she went over to the kitchen sink and washed her hands before retrieving a pair of gloves and snapping a pair of them onto her hands.

Her eyes turned on Yuki, who looked ready for battle. "I think its time for a bath, young man," she intoned ominously, advancing up on the hapless blond man. Hiro almost felt sorry for him.

"Would you like some assistance, Kaede-sama?" he asked gleefully, ignoring the look of hate and pleading from Yuki. "He looks rather heavy."

"That would be nice, Mr. Yamadera, I thank you. I think this one will try to cut up rough with me, but that's only a one time thing. After tonight, he'll behave himself. That's a promise."

As she wheeled a loudly protesting Yuki into his bedroom, Hiro hung back as he broke out into great guffaws of laughter. Akira, it seems, had had the last laugh.

oooooooooooooooooooo

By the time the casts were removed in late March, Yuki had fully returned to power, but this ruthless man was also a cowed man. Kaede had been ruthless in her care of him and indeed, every time she entered his room, he flinched like a terrified rabbit and pulled his bedsheets up over his head.

When Akira informed him that he would indeed need corrective surgery and until that time, he would need the help of a cane to get around and some rehabilitation exercises, Yuki burst into tears. Kaede, who had been present when Dr. Yamadera arrived at her patient's home, volunteered to assist the young master with his exercises. Hiding his smile, Akira agreed that it would be best, seeing as how she worked with Yuki _so well_.

However, not all were pleased with this plan of action. Grabbing Akira's shirt and jerking him forward to weep bitterly into his shirt front, Yuki begged and pleaded for mercy. "Don't do this to me, you baka!" he wailed, clutching at his cousin. "She's a demon! She'll kill me! Please! I'm too young to die!"

"She isn't a demon, Yuki, she's one of the best nurses around. Be a little nicer, huh?" Akira got up to leave. Or rather, _attempted_ to get up.

Yuki clung on to him with grim determination. "Don't leave me alone with that... that... succubus!" he shrieked, wildly pointing a finger at Kaede, who sat in a nearby chair, watching him with a speculative gleam in her eyes. "Oh no... I've angered it..." he whispered, paling.

On this day, however, Yuki would soon feel relieved. While Akira was attempting to peel Yuki's octopus-like arms from around his waist, a knock came at the door. All three sets of eyes went to the door as a key was inserted. The door swung open.

Hiro appeared with Kagome and both were toting grocery bags. "Hello, Yuki! Look who I've brought to visit you!" Hiro called out in a sing-song voice as they took the groceries into the kitchen. "We've come to make you dinner!"

Yuki's arms were instantly unraveled and Akira stumbled back just in time as Yuki jumped up on his own two feet and tottered over to Kagome. "Look, Kagome! I can walk again!" he chirped happily, arms open wide.

Her dark eyes glowed with happiness. "Oh, Yuki! That's wonderful!" she exclaimed as he made to her and hugged her. She held on to him tightly, afraid that he would fall over. "But, you've just had your casts removed. Don't overdo it just yet."

As she helped him walk back to his chair, Akira shot Hiro a look that said, _'See? I told you so.' _

With a concerned frown on his face, Hiro nodded, even though he was far from convinced. She still loved Kouga and even though they could only touch each other in the privacy of her own house, she spent nearly every single day she could with him. Whenever she would cry and apologize for boring him, Kouga would always smile and tell her it was alright. Everything was perfect when she was with him. How could he be bored with the woman he loved?

Kouga always knew how to calm Kagome down and sometimes, (and he hated to admit it) Hiro got a bit jealous. He felt as though the tide was turning and that things would soon be different from now on. While he was beginning to enjoy life with his half-Japanese, half-American girlfriend Connie, he soon realized that he was moving away, bit by bit, from Kagome.

But Kouga, who refused to desert her under any circumstances, even with the possiblity of Yuki discovering his relationship with Kagome, was starting to take his place. It saddened Hiro greatly. As much as he wanted to be with this new woman in his life, he didn't want to leave Kagome behind. He loved his baby girl like crazy, but he knew that it would soon be time for him to step aside... sort of like how she had already stepped aside to allow Connie to take her place in his life. Kagome had pushed and pushed for him to start dating her, insisting that he needed to get out and make up for lost time.

_'You don't need to be here and stagnate with me,'_ she'd told him cheerfully. _'You're still young and Connie-chan loves you alot. Go, be with her. You can have two best friends, right? Besides, its not as if I'm going anywhere.'_ She had laughed at that, but Hiro felt a wave of guilt engulf him. He'd promised her and Sesshoumaru he'd be with her...but unfortunately, he didn't say for how long.

Watching Yuki babble ecstatically to Kagome, Hiro wondered how long it would be before that one asked her to wed him. From the adoring look in his eyes, not long, Hiro thought with a scowl. Damn, what a disaster _that_ will be!

ooo

Once Kagome had deposited Yuki in his chair, she turned to the older woman who sat silently nearby. "Hi, my name is Kagome," she said with smile, bowing in her direction.

The woman rose and bowed to her. "I am Kaede, Mr. Yamadera's nurse. I know who you are, my dear. Your young man speaks of you constantly. You must be quite a special young lady if _he's_ fallen in love with you."

"Eh?" Kagome whirled around to look at Yuki, whose cheeks burned a charming pink tint. "Yuki?"

As Yuki reached for her to take her hand, Akira swooped down and hustled her away. "Kagome! It's lovely to see you again! Have you lost my card? I haven't heard from you since Yuki's birthday and I miss talking to you. Here, have another one."

"Akira-sama! Gomen nasai! Yes, I _did_ lose your card. I'm afraid I tend to lose things at times. Thank you, I'll put it in my wallet right away." She suited the actions to the words.

While her back was turned, Akira smirked at Yuki, who looked about ready to explode. To make his cousin suffer even more and to satisfy his own whims, when Kagome finished messing about with her purse Akira scooped her up in his arms and hugged her. "You poor, darling girl. Hiro told me you've just gotten over a cold. You really shouldn't be out in cold, wet weather like this. Hiro can make Yuki some dinner. Let me take you home, okay?"

"Oi! You monster, stay away from her!" Yuki shot to his feet, fury pouring off of him in waves, and began limping painfully towards them.

"Yuki! Please sit down!" Kagome cried, wrenching away from Akira and rushing over to Yuki. She wrapped her arms around him just as his right leg gave out and he began to teeter over. Kagome fell with him and ended up sprawled beneath him on the floor. Luckily for her, he had managed to keep his body weight from crushing her by landing on his forearms. "Are you okay?" she whispered, horrified by the look of agony on his face.

With a grimace, he nodded and opened his eyes. Staring down at her, his heart began to gallop. Kagome lay beneath him, her hair swirling like a black silken cloud about her head and her dark eyes were wide with concern. "You are so amazingly beautiful," he told her breathlessly.

"Are you done squishing her?" came Akira's voice from somewhere above them.

He and Hiro grabbed hold of Yuki and hefted him off of Kagome. Yuki yelled at them, saying he could get up by himself, but yelped in pain when Akira tapped him on the right knee.

"What the hell did you do _that_ for?" Yuki howled, tears springing from his eyes. "That hurt, damn it!"

"Let's put his royal highness to bed, Hiro," Akira grunted, taking Yuki's right side. Hiro took the left and together they hoisted him in the air and carried him off to his room. Kagome and Kaede followed them.

Once Yuki was situated to his liking on his large bed, Akira turned to Kaede. "He'll need stronger painkillers, which I'll prescribe right away. In the meantime, keep him off his feet until I say so. I can get a therapist to see him here in a few days and we need to get him a cane." Turning back to Yuki he said, "You don't need crutches, so don't ask again. What you need is some pain medicine and a bit of exercise to get that leg up to walking right again. Well, until you have that surgery, anyway."

"What if it doesn't fix me?" asked a very depressed Yuki as he stared solemnly down at his lap. "What if I need a cane for the rest of my life?"

Kagome stepped forward and sat beside him on the bed, taking his hand in hers. "Then you'll get used to it. Using a cane to help you walk won't change who you are on the inside, Yuki. You'll still be you, but with a cool new accessory."

"Yeah," broke in Hiro suddenly. "You can get one of those cool pimp daddy canes." He shot a questioning look and a shrug at Kagome, who giggled and nodded.

Yuki looked away from them but retained Kagome's hand in his. "I want to go back to the way I was. I don't want to have to depend on some device to walk. I just... I just want to be normal again." He leaned back against the pillows, face still averted. "Please, I need to be alone right now."

Without a word, everyone turned and left, but when Kagome began to stand up, Yuki gripped her hand tighter. "No. I want for you to stay. Please."

As the door shut behind the others, Yuki turned to look at Kagome. "I'm so happy that you came to visit me. I thought that after the last time, you wouldn't come back." He released her hand and reached up to caress her face. "I want to apologize for that. It was wrong of me to do that to you. Please forgive me."

Seeing those amazing emerald eyes gazing so intently into hers caused her heart rate to speed up crazily. "I forgave you long ago," she whispered, wanting to bolt out of the room, but equally wanting to stay.

"Thank you. I couldn't bear it if you were to hate me."

"I don't hate you, Yuki."

His arms went around her and pulled her across his chest. "If you don't hate me, then you must love me."

"N-not necessarily. The opposite of love is apathy."

"I see." He brushed his lips against her forehead. "But I believe that you aren't indifferent to me, Kagome, or else your heart wouldn't be pounding as fast as it is. So you either hate me or love me, but you just said that you didn't hate me." A pleased chuckle escaped his lips. "Therefore, I must conclude that you love me."

She stiffened in his embrace and attempted to pull away from him. "Yuki-sama, please..."

Their eyes met and he tightened his grasp. "Give me a chance, Kagome, and I'll prove to you that I want you. You'll need to tell your special male friend to back off, though. I won't take kindly to other men hanging around you. You may not know this, but I'm an _extremely_ sore loser and I tend to get jealous."

Prudence prevented her from commenting that she already knew this fact. She still vividly remembered the night of the accident, when he'd found her with Kouga. Yuki had shown his true face, which had been horribly twisted in his rage and she had felt afraid. He was more dangerous than she'd realized...

As she gazed into his love-softened face, Kagome wondered if he was still dangerous. But his personality had undergone serious changes since the wreck, so on the whole, she thought not. Maybe the blow to the head had been the cause of his change in temperment.

"Hey, what are you thinking about?" he asked softly, brushing her hair back from her neck and over her shoulder. "Me?" He leaned over and kissed the exposed flesh of her throat.

"Y-yuki--"

"Mmm. I love it when you keep saying my name. One day," he whispered hotly, kissing his way up to her earlobe, "I'll make you scream it."

Shocked by his words, but even more so by the idea it conveyed to her, Kagome pulled away and quickly got up from the bed. "Excuse me, Yuki-sama," she said in a trembling voice, "I need to help Hiro in the kitchen."

"No, wait!" he called out, but she rushed out of the room and shut the door behind her. Slumping back against his pillows again, he covered his face with his hands. Damn it, he'd done it again. Why did he always move too fast with her, especially when he knew that she probably still didn't trust him completely?

_Baka..._

ooo

After Kagome had bolted from the room, she made her way down the hall and into the living room where the others were talking quietly. They stood when she entered.

Hiro was instantly by her side when she arrived and when he saw her face, he swept her into his arms. "Oh no, not again. What did he do to you _this_ time, baby?"

For the first time in the history of their friendship, Kagome pushed Hiro away, turning her back on him. "I just... want to go home now. Don't worry about me, Hiro. I'll take a cab." Quietly, she put on her coat, grabbed her purse and slipped out of the apartment.

Akira was stunned. "Hiro? What just happened?"

"I don't know," muttered the younger Yamadera brother, "but I'm going to find out." He stalked away towards Yuki's room and flung the door open. "What the hell are you doing?" he demanded angrily. "What have you done to her _this_ time?"

Yuki slid further down and pulled the covers up to his chin. "Leave me alone, Hiro," he requested softly. "I don't want to talk right now."

"Well, you're gonna." Hiro was across the room and by his brother's side in a flash. "Were you feeling her up again?"

"Iie."

"Then what did you do?"

A very green gaze slid over to Hiro's face. "Where is she?"

Hiro sank down on the mattress beside Yuki's legs. "She left. She was supposed to make dinner with me, but thanks to you..." He sighed. "Never mind. I need to get started on supper. Want me to get Akira in here?"

"What for?" came Yuki's sullen reply.

"You look like you're in pain. Are you?"

"Yes."

Alarmed, Hiro jumped. "Well, why didn't you say so sooner? Let me get Akira--"

Yuki turned over on his side, away from his brother. "Not that kind of pain, Hiro, although my leg does ache a bit. The kind of pain I'm feeling is the worst kind." He snuggled deeper under his covers and Hiro caught the sound of sniffling.

"Yuki, are you... crying?"

"I love her so much, but for some reason I keep scaring her away. All I want is for her to love me and know that I'd never hurt her. Those days are over, Hiro and I have no plans on hurting her ever again. Now that I've been given the chance to know her, I want to keep her in my life. How can I do that...when she won't even stay in the same room with me?"

Hiro resumed his seat on the bed and grabbed Yuki's upper arm, giving it a gentle squeeze. "For starters, quit forcing her to kiss you. Secondly, don't feel her up. Not all women enjoy having a terrifingly beautiful man sexually harass them."

This brought Yuki to a sitting position. Angrily, he wiped away his tears. "Nani? What's so terrifying about my beauty? I'm not terrifying! Am I terrifying? Is that it? She's scared of my beautiful face?!"

"Oh, for heaven's sake, you moron, Kagome isn't scared of your face! That wasn't the point I was trying to make." Hiro got to his feet. "What I was trying to say was to stop forcing yourself on Kagome. It's great that you want to kiss her, but you should wait until _she_ gives you leave to do so, Yuki. Don't take what isn't yours."

"Yet. She isn't mine, _yet_. But she will be and what's more, I'll find that man who has dared to love what's mine."

"Well, she may never be if you don't keep your hands to yourself. If Kagome screams rape when you've managed to slip your hands down her pants, believe me, you'll have more than just the police to worry about."

A frown creased the golden one's fair brow. "What do you mean? Are you talking about the guy who _claims_ to love my Kagome?"

"Forget about him,Yuki. "I'm talking about Morikawa."

"Sesshoumaru's the guy who loves Kagome?!" Yuki clenched his fists.

Irritated, Hiro clapped a hand over his eyes. "Baka, he's her guardian! Look, just _forget_ about the mystery man, okay?"

"Why?" demanded Yuki suspiciously. "You know who it is, don't you?"

"Agh! Will you stop talking about him? You're being ridiculous about the whole thing. You already have men running all over town spying on Kagome and prying in the backgrounds of all her friends or anybody who may have accidentally brushed up against her at the grocery store. Don't you think you're taking things a _bit_ too far?"

Yuki's answer was to glower at Hiro from his pillows. The younger man sighed with some exasperation. "Fine then, don't talk."

"I won't. You told me to stop talking," came the petulant reply.

"No, I said stop talking about this silly mystery man that Kagome's alleged to have." Seeing his brother's head droop slightly, he added a little more kindly, "Just think how Kagome would react to you spying on her. You're treating her like she's an unfaithful wife, having affairs with every man she meets."

One of Yuki's eyelids twitched. "Please refrain from saying things like that. It's an unpleasant thought."

"Hmph. It's funny you should that, since that's what _you'd_ been doing up until last summer. What's the term used to describe you? Oh yeah, man-whore."

Yuki slammed one of his clenched fists down on the bed. "Go away, Hiro. If you're not going to be nice to me, then leave. On your way out, send Akira in to me. My leg is killing me."

Amused by this obvious dismissal, Hiro took his leave. A minute later, Akira entered the invalid's room with a pair of gloves, an alcohol pad and a syringe.

"Feeling some discomfort, are you?" Akira asked, shutting the door behind him.

"Yeah. Where's Hiro?"

"He's gone." Akira slipped his gloves on. "Turn over on your side facing away from me, please."

Yuki did as he was told and grimaced when he felt Akira tug down his flannel sleep pants to his thighs. "Did he say anything to you? Other than telling you I wanted to see you?"

"He did." Taking the little alcohol wipe, he picked a spot on Yuki's left buttock and quickly cleansed the area.

"Well?" Yuki asked impatiently. "What did he say?"

Akira stuck the syringe into Yuki's backside, depressed the plunger and quickly withdrew. "This should work within a few minutes. It'll knock you out cold for a few hours, though."

Tugging his pants back up, Yuki turned over on his back and glared up at his cousin, who had recapped the needle and was in the process of removing his gloves. "Quit stalling, Akira. What did he say?"

"Hm. Well, he said that you were being a monster prick and like hell he would cook dinner for such an ungrateful bastard. Oh, and that he hoped you starved."

"And?" Yuki prompted. He could already feel the heaviness of sleep creeping over him.

As his eyes struggled to stay open, Akira leaned over and smiled triumphantly into his face. "Hiro also said that he knows the name of the man who loves Kagome."

With a weak cry, Yuki grabbed Akira's shirt. "Wh-who? Tell me... Ak...ira..." His words were slurred and he felt his cousin gently pry his fingers away from his clothing. Yuki desperately wanted to hold on, but he just couldn't. What the hell had Akira shot him up with?

"There, there, Yuki. Just go to sleep. There's a good boy," the doctor cooed, stroking the blond head softly.

"Fuck...you..." Yuki barely managed to say, as his mind struggled violently to remain conscious, but to no avail. Sleep claimed him swiftly.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sesshoumaru was waiting anxiously in the living room as Kagome walked in the front door of her home. The second she locked the door behind her, Sesshoumaru shot out of the living room and snatched her up.

"Where have you been?!" he demanded, trembling, holding her close. "Where's Hiro? You took a cab?"

Once she got over her shock of her guardian barreling towards her, she hugged him back and rested her head against his shoulder as he carried her into the living room. Taking a seat on one of her sofas, he continued to hold her close, his arms encircling her.

"Darling, why didn't you call me? I would have picked you up. Please don't take cabs alone, Kagome. You might get kidnapped and then I'd lose my mind until I found you--"

A gentle hand reached up to touch his face. "I'm not a child, Sesshoumaru. I do have the ability to maneuver myself out in the world, so please don't worry so much." She smiled up at him, love glowing in her eyes. "But it touches me that you panicked over me. It's really rather cute."

"Oh, so that's how it is, huh? You like it when I go crazy with worry for you?" His face remained emotionless, but his eyes gleamed like two joy-filled suns.

"Yep. It makes me feel... important." She sighed and lay against him. "I like feeling important to you, Sesshoumaru."

He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "You _are_ important to me. You always will be."

"Yes, but you're such a powerful, famous person with a ton of responsibilities. How you find time to be with me is puzzling. I'm just your step-sister and not nearly as important as all those people you do business with."

"Iie, you're my beloved and that fact alone makes you more important than any of those stiffs that walk around in those expensive designer suits. They kiss up to me and tell me things I want to hear... I get sick of being around them. You are my escape from all of that, so of course I would make time for you. I'd put the entire world on hold for you if I could, just spend time with my darling girl."

Kagome's eyes glistened with happiness. "Oh, Sesshoumaru! You're so sweet to say that! But what about Inuyasha and Souta? Would you do the same thing for them?"

While she gazed up at him expectantly, an answer rang clearly in his mind. _No._

But he couldn't very well tell her that because that would overwhelm her with guilt... and he didn't want to upset her. Out loud he said, "Umm, maybe for Souta. As for Inuyasha... well... he'd rather spend time with you anyway, so it would be a waste of time for both him and myself. Souta wouldn't want me to be so attentive to him. He'd rather concentrate on his studies."

Kagome shook her head with disbelief. "Oh, dear, he's become so incredibly serious since last year. Is he doing okay? Do you tell him to be with his friends and do something fun instead of being cooped up inside all day?"

"I do try, Kagome, but he's so hard-headed. He seemes to prefer the company of his books to that of other people. In that regard, I'm afraid he's very much like I was at his age."

She fell silent, taking this bit of news in, while Sesshoumaru absently rocked her gently for a few minutes until the sound of her stomach growling startled them both. "Oh!" she gasped, looking down at her abdomen as if to silence it with a look.

"Sounds like someone's hungry," he said with a chuckle. "What did you have for lunch? I want to order some dinner but I don't want you to have to eat the same thing you had earlier."

"Umm," Kagome began guiltily, turning her face from his sight. "Well, you see, the thing is..." Her voice trailed off.

There was silence as Sesshoumaru fixed his steady gaze on her. Eventually, when she could no longer stand that blistering gaze on her, she turned to face him. "What is it?" she asked as innocently as she could. She very nearly flinched when she saw the hurt in his eyes.

"You _know_ what," he said quietly. Lifting a hand to lightly brush her cheek he said, "Why didn't you eat lunch, baby? You know how I worry when you don't eat. Where was Hiro? Didn't he make you eat something?"

She shook her head, her gaze dropping down to her lap. Sesshoumaru's body tensed. "Why not?"

"Because... his girlfriend wanted to go out to lunch with him today and I told him he should go." Her eyes shot back up to his face. "Before you say anything, I want you to know that Hiro has every right to live his life. I told him to go, so if you get mad at anyone, get mad at me." She pushed herself off his lap and got to her feet. "Besides, he won't always be around to watch every bite that goes into my mouth, Sesshoumaru. Sooner or later, he'll want to move out..."

Reaching up, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back down onto his lap. With great care, he removed her coat from her slim frame and lay it beside them on the couch. "If you don't want to be alone, then come back home," he murmured suggestively in her ear. His arms went around her, sliding her back to rest against his body. "I can have your old bedroom ready for you tonight, if you wish."

It was taking all his willpower not to seduce her right here on her sofa, right at this very moment. He wanted her so badly and despite his displeasure at Hiro for not ensuring that she ate, he couldn't but thank the boy for starting the process of leaving. With Hiro gone, he'd have her all to himself-- no, wait. Damn it, he'd forgotten about Kouga. But still, if he moved her back into the mansion, then he'd make sure that Kouga would never be admitted.

Kagome twisted her body around slightly to look at him. "Sesshoumaru? You don't have to do that. I'm fine right where I am."

Kissing the tip of her nose, he told her, "I want you home with me so I can keep my eye on you. I think Souta might be missing you too. It would be great for us to be together again, don't you think?"

"I appreciate you thinking of me, but what would happen when Inuyasha moves back? I'd have to lock my bedroom door every night before I went to bed. I don't want to wake up again with him bending over me--"

"Hold on there. What do you mean, _again_? When had he done that?"

A hand flew up to her mouth. Her soft brown eyes flew open in shocked surprise. "Um, I mean... Oh no..."

"You will tell me what happened, Kagome."

With shuddering sigh, Kagome related the story of how she woke to find Inuyasha kneeling beside her bed, and him bending over her. She and Hiro had agreed never to mention it to Sesshoumaru but thanks to her and her big mouth, he found out. Her voice faltered and trembled when she told a quietly furious Sesshoumaru of how Inuyasha slid his hand beneath her nightgown and up between her thighs.

"That... bastard..." hissed her step-brother, turning his blazing eyes away from her. "I can't believe he'd... I can't..." With a growl, he picked her up off his lap and set her down on the sofa before grabbing her cordless phone and striding out of the living room with it. "I'll be right back, Kagome."

"Wait! Sesshoumaru!" she cried as she realized what he was going to do. Leaping up from her seat, she ran out into the hallway... and smack into Kouga, who'd just come in bearing a bouquet or roses. "Kouga?"

"Hey, baby! What's the rush?" he asked jovially, putting his arms around her and moving her back into the living room. Setting the flowers on the coffee table, he dropped his head down to hers and kissed her soundly.

The second his lips touched hers, all thoughts of Sesshoumaru calling Inuyasha to bitch at him for taking advantage of her... seemed to...just... slip... away...

"Kouga," she panted against his mouth as his arms tightened around her. "I missed you today. I missed you so much..."

Kouga was far too caught up in the kiss to give her a coherent reply and instead lay her down on the sofa she'd just vacated. He positioned himself on top of her, being very careful not to crush her as he lowered his body to cover hers. As for Kagome, she could only cling helplessly to him as his incredible body heat, mixed with his intense passion, assaulted her senses, making her weak with desire for him.

"Damn, I love you," he breathed heavily against her neck between nips of his teeth on her skin. "I can't stand being away from you, Kagome. It... tears me apart knowing I can't be with you freely." He groaned as her hands went to his shoulders and began shoving at his leather jacket.

Together, they eagerly removed the coat and began working on his shirt. Once that offending article of clothing was away from his body and safely on the floor, Kagome was free to run her hands all over her boyfriend's very impressive torso. The smooth, heated flesh beneath her fingers made her want to kiss every inch of his beautiful body.

When she managed to drag her eyes away from his powerful chest, she looked up and their eyes met in a smouldering gaze. Kagome could sense his self-control slipping and she knew that if she lay beneath him any longer, he would scoop her up and take her to her bedroom. And when the sun rose tomorrow, her virginity would be long gone.

But the truth was, she wanted it gone... and she wanted _him_. She wanted Kouga to rid her mind of Yuki once and for all. Most likely, Yuki never really meant those things he said to Hiro about loving her. She was probably just some toy that he would soon tire of. Kouga, on the other hand, had no plans on letting her go any time soon. He loved her and he'd proved it over and over again, whereas Yuki had made a habit of tormenting her. There really was no reason why she should trust him. _Right? _

Uncertain blue eyes flickered above her and his big body began to tremble. "Kagome... I... I can't hold out..."

She reached up to cradle his face in her hands. "I know, Kouga. I want the same thing."

Excitement flared in those sapphire depths. "Really? Are you sure?"

She nodded. "I am. Quite sure."

But as he bent down to take her lips in an enthusiastic kiss, the back door in the kitchen slammed. They both jumped at the sudden noise.

"I _am_ being reasonable! Damn you to hell, Inuyasha! _You don't touch Kagome like tha_t, _you hentai_! Do it again and so help me, I'll wring your damn neck--"

Hearing Sesshoumaru yell like that brought the two lovers back down to earth, but it drove Kouga to his feet. "What did he just say? Did Inuyasha _touch_ you, Kagome? When did this happen?" he demanded, outraged.

"Huh? No! That happened _before_ I met you, Kouga. It was last year, just after my first visit to Yuki's club. Incidentally, it was also my first real glimpse of you. I remember seeing you, Ginta and Hakkaku hitting on a group of girls." Her eyes twinkled mischievously up at him.

He stared in confusion at her for a moment, then his shoulders sagged. Dropping to his knees before her, he took hold of her hands and pressed them against his chest. "If I had known you then, I wouldn't have looked twice at those other women. I don't even recall what they looked like now." For a moment, he had the grace to look sheepish. "That doesn't sound good, huh? It makes me sound like... like..."

"A player? Hmm... yeah, a bit."

"Oi! Don't you think about hanging up on me! How _dare_ you say such filthy things about Kagome! She doesn't like men like you, you imbecile! If you'd spent more time with her _without_ groping on her, you'd know that!"

Upon hearing Sesshoumaru's latest stream of angry words, Kouga flinched and pulled away from Kagome. But she didn't allow him to get too far, for she grabbed him around the neck and slid to the floor on her knees in front of him. She pressed her body to his. "You aren't like that now," she cooed softly as she rubbed the tip of her nose across his cheek.

"Kagome," he began forlornly, but she silenced him with a swift kiss.

"Hey, have I told you I loved you today?" she asked, running her tongue along his jawline.

He shivered at the sensual contact. "N-no, you haven't. Tell me."

"I love y--"

Kouga tipped her back onto the couch and with just his torso slanting across her, he pinned her down and kissed her brutally. Kagome's eyes slid shut with bliss and continued holding onto him, even as Sesshoumaru raged on in her kitchen. Neither of them realized that when the enraged man had finally hung up, he'd made his way back to the living room only to discover his precious Kagome clutching at a half-naked man as though she were drowning.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

Hiro, hearing fury-filled yelling coming in through the front door, found Sesshoumaru and Kouga shouting at each other from across the room while Kagome huddled on her sofa, helplessly watching the two men with tear-filled eyes.

"Sweetie!" he cried and ran to her. She held onto him, bursting into tears. "What are you two doing! Have you gone mad?"

Sesshoumaru swung on Hiro, his eyes ablaze with rage. "And why didn't you ensure that she ate lunch _before_ you went off to see that girl of yours? Huh? Tell me why you let her out of your sight! Kagome may look healthy, but she still has a way to go before she's well!"

"Don't you think I know that!" Hiro shot back irritably. "She wanted me to go! What did you want me to do? Tell her no?"

Kouga and Sesshoumaru stared daggers at him. "YES!" they yelled at him.

"Stop! Just stop it!"

The three men turned their attention to Kagome, who had scrambled away from Hiro and was backing away from them towards the stairs. Her face was streaked with tears and her eyes were wild with misery. It was obvious to everyone present that she was about to bolt.

"Can't you just stop... _arguing?_ I'm tired of people always arguing because of me! Sesshoumaru, I apologize for not eating lunch. Hiro made some soup for me, but I just didn't feel like eating. Okay? So please don't yell at him!"

Sesshoumaru's body sagged and he sent Hiro an apologetic glance.

"And leave Kouga alone, too. I'm sorry if you didn't like what you just saw, but its been hard not being able to spend time with him anymore. I can only see him, if I'm _lucky,_ ... once a day since... since..." Her face crumpled and throwing up her hands to cover her face, she dashed up the stairs. A moment later, the men heard her slam her bedroom door and lock it.

"Well," Kouga said finally, breaking the silence, "we certainly made a nice mess of everything." He sat down on the sofa and leaned back, crossing his arms over his naked chest.

"No shit," Hiro muttered under his breath. Slipping his hands into his trouser pockets, he sent cool glances in the direction of the other two. "Sooo, how do _you two_ plan on rectifying this situation? Seeing her boyfriend and step-brother barking at each other like rabid dogs couldn't have been very pleasant to watch."

"It wasn't," admitted Kouga, glancing up at Sesshoumaru who looked a little lost in thought. "But if _he_ hadn't tried to make me look as though I was raping Kagome, I wouldn't have gotten offended and none of this would have happened. Hell, we were just making out and really into the moment. Sorry if it looked a little out of control."

Instead of acknowledging the apology, Sesshoumaru sent the black-haired, half-naked man an annoyed look. "Silence, Matsuno. It didn't _just_ look like you were out of control. It appeared that you'd dropped something valuable down her throat and were trying to retrieve it with your tongue."

Kouga snorted and gave his obsidian tresses a good toss. "Oh, please. You just wish it was _you_ she was kissing. Admit it, you'd have done the same thing in my position."

Morikawa snarled at Kouga, while that one merely stared triumphantly back and it was all Hiro could do not to scream in frustration at the amount of tension in the air.

"Hey! Time out, guys! Just simmer down, okay? Sesshoumaru, Kouga _is_ Kagome's boyfriend whether you like it or not. You should respect her choice. As for you, Kouga, please, _please_, be respectful of Sesshoumaru. After all, he _is_ an extremely important man as well as Kagome's guardian. Now, could we try to get along? For Kagome's sake at least?"

There was some incoherent mumblings that sounded something like an agreement of sorts and Hiro smiled. "You see? Was that so painful?"

Sesshoumaru sniffed. "Whatever. Just because she wants to keep him around doesn't mean I have to like him..."

"Well, that's entirely up to you, Sesshoumaru."

"Fine. I have a question."

"Ask away."

Sesshoumaru fixed Hiro with a steady gaze. "Why did Kagome say that she hadn't been able to see... _him_... every day?" He jerked his head in Kouga's direction.

Kouga's eyes opened wide and he, too, looked over at Hiro.

Hiro shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry, Kouga, but it'll all come out eventually so we might as well come clean."

Once Sesshoumaru had been apprised of the situation with Yuki and his 'investigations', his face slid into his emotionless businessman/poker face mask. "I see. He's being overly jealous with someone who isn't his. Thank you for telling me, Hiro, although I _do_ wish you had said something to me about all this earlier. But no matter. I will deal with your brother in time. Now, if you two will excuse me..." He headed to the stairs and ascended them.

Kouga would have run after him to stop him, but Hiro grabbed his arm and held him back. "Hiro?"

Hiro shook his head and dragged Kouga to the kitchen to make some tea and heat up some soup. "Don't go up there, Kouga."

"Why not? What's going on, Hiro? What's he gonna do to my girl?"

"I don't think you'd understand."

"Try me." Kouga leaned forward, his fists on the counter.

Setting the water to boil, Hiro glanced over at the angry young man. "Sesshoumaru is going to sleep with her."

The look on the ex-assassin's face froze the blood in Hiro's veins and swiftly, Hiro made a quick mental calculation of how quickly Kouga could get to the knife drawer as opposed to how fast he could run away.

_"What the fuck did you just say?!"_ demanded the scary man.

"Its not what you think, Kouga. Really. I used to wonder why, when she was sick, he would spend an hour or more locked in her room with her. Every time he emerged, he was always straightening his clothes, so naturally I assumed that they were... well... you know."

"Was he?!"

Again, Hiro shook his head. "Kagome finally told me a few months ago. When I said that he was going to sleep with her, that's exactly what I meant. He's going to _sleep_ with her. That's it. Just sleep."

Kouga looked puzzled. "Huh? That makes no sense. You're making no sense, Hiro. Are you telling me that he's only up there taking a nap with her?"

Hiro had taken the pot of soup out of the fridge and set it on the stove. "I'll tell you, but you've got to swear not to repeat what I tell you to _anyone_."

"Yeah, yeah, I swear to take it to my grave, now tell me."

While telling Kouga the story of Sesshoumaru's insomnia, Hiro stirred his soup. Kouga listened with avid interest at this weakness in the all-powerful Sesshoumaru, but he was perplexed concerning why his Kagome had to be the one to put Sesshoumaru to sleep.

"Can't he find someone else?" he asked sourly. "A wealthy guy like that could buy all the women in the world to snuggle with."

Chuckling, Hiro lowered the heat under the soup. "He could, but he doesn't want all the women in the world. All he needs is Kagome."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Above them, Sesshoumaru was already asleep. Kagome, however, was not. She lay before him, wrapped up in darkness and his arms... silently weeping.

He had come to the door and knocked, quietly asking to be let in. She hesitated for a split second, but no longer than that. When she opened the door, Sesshoumaru waited patiently until she took him by the hand and led him inside. Once the door had shut behind him, he sat her down on the bed before going down on his knees and laying his head on her lap.

"Forgive me," he said wretchedly. "I never meant to upset you."

She stroked his pale, silken hair. "I know, but I wish you would be nicer to Kouga."

He said nothing for a long moment and when Kagome thought that he'd dropped off to sleep, he spoke. "May I be brutally honest with you, Kagome?"

For a second, her heartbeat spiked painfully in her chest. What would he say? Was there something wrong with her? Would he admit that he actually despised her and his kindness to her was all a big lie?

"Yes?"

He turned his face slightly so that she could feel the warmth of his breath against her thigh. "I've struggled for a very long time with this. I didn't know how to tell you."

Her words came out in a breathy whisper. "Tell me what?"

Sesshoumaru raised his head to look at her. Kagome stared at her guardian, the man she loved so dearly, and she was again blown away by his beauty. Although she barely remembered his mother, Kagome knew that Sesshoumaru had inherited his lovely and delicate features from her. Inuyasha more or less favored their father, who had possessed more rugged, manly good-looks.

Her fingers continued to stroke Sesshoumaru's head and pushed his fine, silver hair back over his broad shoulders so that it was out of his face. When she pulled her hand away, the long strands instantly moved forward so that it brushed the the sides of his pale, smooth throat. It was a masculine throat, no doubt about it, but it held a slight, almost feminine quality in its gentle curves.

And of course, there were _those_ eyes, that magnificent set of twin suns which _always_ shared their tender and adoring warmth with her. He was staring at her, studying her with a kind of uncertainity that made her wonder just what it was he needed to say to her.

Her gaze fell to his perfectly curved lips, waiting for them to open and for that lovely, warm, velvety voice to flow forth and tell her...

But the lips did not open, nor did the voice come forward. His lips, those enchanting pieces of art, trembled as though he knew not what to say, but she suspected that he was just unable to say it at all. Instead, he got to his feet, turned off the bedroom light and grabbed her hand, pulling her to the bed. When he slid beneath the covers, she obediantly followed him, turning her back to him so he could tuck her perfectly against his body.

As she had every single time before, she lay there, savoring the comforting warmth of his body and arms as she would drift off to sleep. But this time, he fell asleep before she did. Just as he began to drift away, she felt his lips press lightly against her neck. She smiled tenderly in the dark and and as she did, she heard a breathy whisper in her ear... a whisper, she realized a moment later, with words that were meant for her sleeping ears.

"One day, I'll have the courage to tell you, but for now this will have to do. I'm... in love with you, Kagome..."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A/N: Okay then! This was one incredibly long chapter! Thankfully, I didn't do it all in one sitting or else my legs would have cramped in place. I hope you enjoy it!


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Chapter 15

Yuki awoke the next morning feeling particularily nasty and out of sorts, not to mention that the pain in his leg had returned and was aching something terrible. He called out for Kaede, who promptly appeared with pain medicine in one hand and a glass of water in the other. So grateful was he to see her that he nearly hugged her... but then he came to his senses and severely reproached himself for trying to make himself look weak. There was no _way_ he'd make peace with his archnemesis!

Once he'd eaten breakfast in bed, he hobbled to out of his room and down the hall to his home office using the cane that Akira had so thoughtfully dropped off earlier that morning, along with his new painkillers. It was a plain walking stick of sturdy brown wood, but Yuki had plans of having a new one made. He'd decided that since he was stuck with having to use one for awhile, he might as well make the best of it and order a custom-made cane.

Surfing the internet, he soon found someone who specialized in crafting personalized canes and promptly got in contact with them. An hour later, after chatting amiably with the owner, Yuki had managed to get his cane put on top priority after offering to pay double the cane's price and allowing the use of _Netsu_ for a private birthday party for the owner's daughter at half the cost. The ecstatic owner promised Yuki that he would _personally_ deliver the cane to him tomorrow afternoon.

With that accomplished, Yuki tackled the paperwork left for him by his secretary and stopped a few hours later for lunch. He limped out of his study and into the living room, heading over to his dining room table where a solitary place was set. Seeing this struck a chord of loneliness in him and he paused, leaning heavily on his cane.

Kaede was moving about his kitchen, as silent as always, but spoke up when she saw him stop. "What's wrong? Are you in pain?" She made as if to come over to where he was, but he shook his head and resumed moving.

As he sat down, lowering himself with slow, labored movements, she came over with a pot and sat it before him. Yuki, who'd actually been expecting take-out, looked mildly surprised. "What's this? I thought I was going to have pizza today."

Removing the lid and allowing the steam to drift upwards, Kaede turned a steely eye on him. "You are _not_ eating pizza during _my_ watch again, Yuki-san. Not after what you did last time."

Green eyes slid guiltily away to rest on the pot before him and he reached for the ladle that stuck out of it. "I have no knowledge of what you speak," he said, helping himself to some soup.

"Let me jog your memory, young man. Two weeks ago, right before your bedtime." She snatched the ladle from his hand and stuck into the pot of soup.

Yuki looked smug and crossed his arms over his chest. "Um, nope, sorry. Doesn't ring a bell."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously on him. "You ordered a pizza with jalapeno peppers on it and ate the entire thing all by yourself. Then you waited--"

"Lies!" he cried, feeling his very soul quake in fear even though he knew he'd been had. How she figured it out was beyond him. Had she peeked at the pizza before bringing it to him? Most likely she had, but had she known how the peppers would effect him? Not a chance, he decided. That only proved she wasn't human. Evil witch...

"Its not lies, Yuki-san, and you know it. I very nearly succumbed to the temptation of tossing you out over your balcony when I realized that you'd purposely given yourself diarrhea to spite me."

"Well, if _you_ hadn't taken away my laptop the night before, I'd never have done it in the first place," he pointed out peevishly. "All I wanted was to finish playing my game. But I lost all my progress just because _you_ wanted me to go to sleep."

"Nonsense, that wasn't my fault. You should have saved the game first." Kaede moved away from the table and crossed her plump arms over her bosom. "That was such an incredibly petty thing, and for you to do something to do so revolting out of retaliation is beyond all comprehension. One of the reasons I stay is because Dr. Yamadera asked me to."

"What's another reason?" asked the fair man warily.

She leaned over and thrust her face into his. Her dark eyes seemed to glitter with an unholy light and suddenly, Yuki was _very_ afraid. She lowered her voice to a dangerous level. "To set you straight, you little hooligan. And you _shall _be, before this is all over." When she straightened, her eyes returned to normal and she quickly checked her watch, then turned to grab her purse. "I will be going out now. I'll be back in a few hours." She headed for the front door.

"Wait!" Yuki cried, shoving his chair away from the table and getting unsteadily to his feet. "What about me?"

Kaede paused in her stride and turned around slowly to look at Yuki. "Oh, so you _need_ me now, huh? I thought you despised me with your entire soul. Remember saying that? Or have you _conveniently_ forgotten that as well?"

"I'm...I'm sorry. I know I've been difficult and I apologize for the whole pepper incident, too. That was... unforgivable." He grabbed his cane and limped forward. "Who will take care of me while you're gone?"

His pathetically worried expression lifted the frown from her face and for the first time, she smiled at him. "You don't need to worry about that, Yuki-san."

At that instant, the doorbell rang and Kaede went to answer the door. When she opened it, Yuki saw Kagome standing outside in the hallway. "Kagome? What are you doing here?"

Kagome stepped inside and removed her shoes and coat. "Kaede-sama called me earlier and asked if I would like to spend some time with you. She said she had some business to take care of..." She blushed and looked away from his steady gaze. "I told her I would be delighted to take stay here with you while she ran her errands."

The older woman gave Kagome a hug and shot the startled Yuki a furtive wink. "If you need me, my number is by the phone. Have fun, you two." With that, she was gone.

Turning to Yuki, Kagome gave him a shy, tremulous smile. "I see you were having lunch."

Yuki nodded, feeling uncertain of what to say or do. _'Don't screw this up, baka!'_ his brain cried. Aloud he said, "Actually, I haven't eaten anything yet. I was about to. Um, would you like to join me? There's more than enough for the both of us."

Her smile widened. "I would be happy to," she said, taking his arm and helping him back to the table.

Yuki felt faint... but in a good way. After last night's fiasco, he hadn't been certain that he would ever see her again. But this time, he would try his hardest to keep his hands... _and lips_... to himself. He didn't want her to run away yet again. He wanted her stay. For a very long time.

Once he was seated, she remained standing and finished serving him before retrieving a bowl and spoon for herself. "I'm sorry! What would you like to drink?" she asked, walking back to the kitchen. "Oh, wait. Here's a note from Kaede on the refrigerator. She says she wants you to drink milk." Turning, she looked at Yuki over the countertop. "I guess you'll be having milk to drink," she added with a chuckle.

Watching her locate the glasses and pour the milk, Yuki watched her intently, his heart thumping wildly. Kagome was in his kitchen, _right now_, pouring him something to drink! The woman he loved with his entire being was here to take care of him! She actually _wanted_ to take care of him!

Hope blossomed anew in his chest and he could barely contain himself. He wanted to snatch her up in his arms and make love to her sweet lips until she couldn't take anymore. But no, he couldn't do that. _'Keep hands to self, keep hands to self,' _his brain chanted over and over again.

"Here you go," she said, moving towards him, carrying two glasses of milk. "If you have to have milk, then I will too." She set it down before him and took her place beside him, laying her own glass down.

Seeing that her bowl was still empty, he grabbed it and began serving her some soup. She protested, saying that he didn't need to do that for her and reminded him that she was here to look after him, not the reverse.

"But I want to," he said, replacing her bowl in front of her. "It makes me feel useful."

Kagome's eyes widened at that remark. Was he feeling useless? She supposed so, since he'd been reduced to depending on others to take care of him. _'Just like me,'_ she thought sadly, remembering the weeks after her brush with death.

Sesshoumaru, Sango, Miroku, Souta and even Inuyasha had all took turns watching over her, monitoring every single bite she took, watching with bated breath to see whether she gained a pound or not. For the first couple of weeks, she had been so weak that Sango had to help her bathe, dress and feed herself. Even Sesshoumaru had lowered himself to feeding her as if she was a baby. It had been such a humiliating experience being reduced to such an infantile stage, that many times she'd wished for death.

"Wow, this is good," Yuki remarked, tasting the soup.

"Yes it is. Hiro made it yesterday. I believe he dropped it off here very early this morning." She took a mouthful and savored it. When she swallowed, she noticed that Yuki's right hand was trembling slightly and it appeared stiff. "Yuki? Are you okay?"

He looked up from his soup and frowned, nodding. "Yes. Why?" Her eyes went to his hand again and he looked to see what she was staring at. "Oh, you mean my hand. It does that at times. I don't notice it as much anymore. I guess I've gotten used to it." He sent her a warm smile.

When he began eating again, she watched his hand move. The scarring wasn't as pronounced as it had been before, but it was pretty obvious that his right arm didn't move as well as his uninjured left one.

Her gaze slid up to his face and she could see the scars on his face and wondered what he thought when he looked in the mirror. All this damage... _caused by her._ She knew he was drunk and could have prevented him from driving away on that icy night. If she had, he wouldn't be marred for life.

His eyes met hers and she started. "Sumimasen!" she cried, feeling her face flame. He caught her staring at him! Oh, no, what if he thinks she was staring rudely at his scars?

"What's the matter? You looked really sad there just now. I'm afraid I'm not very much fun to be around right now. I guess it's the weather. It's been raining for several days now and I've had to stay indoors this whole time. Kaede doesn't want me to go onto the balcony. She thinks I'll slip and hurt myself." He turned away to look out of his balcony doors. "But I must admit, it's a beautiful day outside. I love rainy days."

"Really? So do I," admitted Kagome, getting up and walking to the glass doors. Beyond the balcony, Tokyo lay damp and dreary beneath leaden skies. "It's gorgeous out today," she murmured, her breath clouding up the glass.

There was movement behind her and suddenly Yuki was at her side, leaning on his cane. "Just breathtaking," he said seriously, looking straight at her.

Again her cheeks felt as though they were on fire and she looked away from him. Yuki moved slightly and opened the doors, allowing the cool air to rush into the room which had suddenly become very warm. When she looked back at him, he had walked outside and was leaning back against the glass, staring intently out over the city. He cast a glance over at her and held out his hand to her. "Come out and see. The view is great."

She took his hand without a second thought and joined him out on the balcony. They stood there for a few minutes, hands joined, just watching and listening to the rain as it fell, then she turned to him and asked him if he wanted to go back in.

He shook his head and releasing her hand, limped forward to the railing where the rain fell freely on him. Then he looked back at her, smiling, his eyes a dark, rich green... the same green of a lush meadow in the summertime. So enchanted was she by the sight of him that she couldn't stop herself from going to him. Even from the moment she first laid eyes on him as he stood at her front door asking for Hiro, she was drawn to him. Inexplicably, undeniably drawn to him like a moth to a flame, despite the ugliness of his personality and his dirty mouth.

Even so, Yuki had been a heartbreakingly beautiful man; he still was, despite the disfiguring marks on his face and arm. He was also a kind man now, and perhaps that was how he used to be before he rebelled against his parents and ran away from home. But the man that stood before her, who wanted to hold her, to kiss her... was not the same man she'd met all those months ago. The man he _had_ been had hated his parents for some unknown reason and hated her because he felt that she stole his brother from him.

But the man he had become was loving and thoughtful; a man she could rely on and fall in love with. Unfortunately for Kouga, she felt that it was a very strong possiblity that it could happen. She had already experienced the first stirrings of her heart whenever he looked at her with those incomparable green eyes.

The rain felt light and heavenly, and she could smell spring in the air. The coolness of the day did not seem to matter up here, so far above the city. It felt just right out here... so completely right... with him so near...

"May I kiss you?" he asked softly and when she turned her head up to look at him, he pressed a fingertip to her cheek. "Here. May I kiss you here?"

Kagome stood, helpless to move or think or act in the sight of those very green eyes. Those eyes whose pain had touched her soul, asked her to allow him permission of human contact. _'He loves touching and being touched,' _Hiro had told her once. _'Yuki is a very tactile person, even though he comes across as cold and aloof.' _

Yuki wanted to touch her now, with his lips. He seemed to be obsessed with kissing her.

"Yes," she whispered, unable to break away from his emerald gaze. Did he know that he was weaving a spell around her? When he bent over and pressed his lips to her cheek, her eyes slid closed. She could feel the gentleness of the rain falling on her face, in her hair. _Oh, yes... such a wonderful, lovely, seductive spell..._

His arms went around her and instinctively she moved into his embrace, bringing her body up against his. She slid her hands up against his chest and one hand lay over his heart, which beat hard and steadily inside him. "Yuki..." she breathed, but his mouth had slid over her cheek, pressing soft kisses against her skin until he reached the corner of her mouth. He stayed there, as though he was waiting for her to move away or tell him to stop. When she did neither, his head moved slightly and his mouth covered hers in a delicate, sensual kiss.

She did not want to push him away and incredibly, she did not feel guilt sweeping over her. For once, she let herself go and allowed herself to feel what this handsome man was giving her. His lips moving over hers made her feel as though she was kissing heaven itself; the sensation was so incredibly pure and delicious and sweetly intoxicating... Perfect. He was tasting her lips and her tongue, savoring them so tenderly that she began to weep.

"Don't cry," he whispered against her lips. "I won't hurt you, I promise." He leaned her back against the sturdy railing and kissed her again, slowly, almost lethargically, until her head began to spin.

Small, delicate hands clung to the front of his shirt as his head dipped lower to allow him to slide his warm, wet tongue along her jaw down to her pulse point, where he lightly bit her. She shivered and one of his hands slid down to the small of her back. He pressed her hips forward so that her body, from her chest down to her hips came in contact with him.

As his mouth gently sucked on the side of her neck, Kagome brought the hand that was over Yuki's heart up to touch his neck. Her fingers went around the back of his neck and up into his baby soft hair, which was now quite wet with rain. The sensations he was creating by the simple movements of his lips was sending her senses haywire and yet, at the same time, it calmed her and left her wanting more.

"Oh, Yuki," she moaned softly, tipping her head back further. Her hand gripped the back of his head firmly as his lips trailed back up her slim throat and claimed her mouth again.

This time, his silken lips were insistent. Stars exploded behind her eyes and she hugged him tighter, returning his passionate kisses with equal passion. There was no denying it now, no turning away from the glaring truth. She wanted him. _All of him._ Whatever it was she was feeling, was something she'd never felt before but she knew she wanted more.

When he lifted his head, she opened her eyes and blinked up at him. "I love you, Kagome," he said happily as the rain slid down his cheeks and off the ends of his hair which was now the color of dark gold. "I love you so much. You've made me so incredibly happy... I don't think I've ever felt such happiness before. I want to be with you; if you'll have me, that is."

Hesitantly, she looked away. _Kouga._ Somehow, she'd have to tell him. "Yuki--"

"But if you need time, I can give you time. I won't be going anywhere." He lifted his hand to touch her face. "Not when there's a possibility of being given the chance to spend my life with you."

"Yuki, wait a minute..."

He leaned down and brushed his lips against her forehead. "Just so you know, I _want_ to marry you. Okay? That's what I want. I don't want to just surprise you out of the blue and hand you an engagement ring. No, I want you to know beforehand that I want you to be my wife so you'll have no reason to be shocked when I'm heavily pursuing you. Do you understand?"

Silently watching him, she felt the spell return, winding its way around her and through her, making her wish that her body could somehow melt into his. Submissively, she nodded and tipped her head up, signalling to him that she was ready for another kiss. He did as she wished with great enthusiasm.

ooo

By the time they managed to break away from each other, the rain had gone from light to heavy and the skies had darkened to the point where it looked like early evening rather than just after one pm in the afternoon. The moment they hurried back inside, lightning flashed across the sky, causing the lights to flicker.

"Oh, kami!" Kagome exclaimed as a massive thunderclap rocked the building. Yuki's arms went around her and she realized that he was soaked to the skin. They both were. "Yuki, come on, let's get you out of these wet clothes," she said, taking his arm.

As she helped him to his bedroom, the lights flickered again and this time, they were plunged into darkness. With a small cry, she flung herself onto him, burying her face against the wet fabric on his shoulder. With a smile, Yuki held her close as yet another flash of lightning lit up his penthouse as bright as day.

"Are you scared of the dark, little one?" he asked her, ignoring the pain in his leg.

She shook her head. "No. Its just that... I've never been up so high before, so close to the lightning. It's frightening how loud the thunder is." His body shifted and Kagome stepped back quickly. "Oh, I forgot your leg! You've been standing a long time now. How does it feel? Are you in pain?"

Grimacing, he nodded. "Yeah, it does ache a bit."

"Then come on, let's get you in some dry clothes." She took his hand and they continued on their way.

Upon reaching his bedroom, Yuki went over to his closet and felt around in the dark. "Hey, I have candles in my bathroom. My lighter is on my dresser by the bedroom door."

While he was moving about in his closet, Kagome went to retrieve the needed items. She felt her way around in his cool, spacious bathroom and sure enough, sitting on the cold marble vanity were some candles. She brought out as many as she could carry and brought them to his dresser, where she found his lighter.

"Do you need any help?" she asked over her shoulder as she carefully lit the candles one by one.

"No, thank you. I've got it. I'm not ready for you to see my other scars yet." He chuckled, a trace of self-deprecation in his laugh.

As the candlelight danced joyfully before her, Kagome noticed that off to the side was a large, full-length mirror attached to a part of the wall and she could see her reflection in the darkness of the glass.

She studied herself. 'Such a drab, ugly creature,' she thought, 'so unappealing to the eye.' Then immediately afterwards she admonished herself for thinking that way. Sesshoumaru didn't like it when she was down on herself. He always told her that whenever she said something cruel to herself, it hurt him deep inside. But sometimes, she just couldn't help but feel a bit disgusted with herself every now and then.

From behind her, Yuki emerged from the dark closet and made his way slowly towards her, his limp more pronounced now. He stopped when their eyes met in the looking glass. He was dressed in a dry t-shirt and a pair of dark pants. His fair hair was wildly mussed, that apparently had been hurriedly dried with the towel that hung about his neck. In his left hand he held something that looked like a white tshirt.

In the mirror, his eyes traveled over her and he began walking towards her again until he stood directly behind her.

"You look sad. What are you thinking?"

She shook her head, trying to hide the fact she was freezing. "Nothing. You're limp seems to be worse. You should sit down," she said, turning to face him. "Kaede-sama left me instructions to give you your pain pills if you needed them. Do you need them?" Her hand went out to touch the hand that held the cane.

He gazed steadily into her eyes. "Do you know how beautiful you are?"

Again, she shook her head. "I'm not--"

Yuki nodded. "Yes, you are." Slowly, he advanced upon her but stopped when he saw she was shivering. "Kagome! I'm sorry! Here, take this. I'll find you some pants to wear." He handed her the shirt and reached around her to open one of the dresser drawers. His hand fumbled around inside and soon pulled out pair of gray sweatpants. "I'm afraid I don't have anything smaller," he said apologetically, handing them to her.

"They're fine, thank you." She gave him a smile and taking a candle, went into the bathroom. Once there, she quickly changed out of her cold, wet clothes and laid them out to dry on his jacuzzi bathtub, she slipped into the dry ones Yuki gave her. When she exited the bathroom, candle in hand, she found that her host and one of the candles were gone.

She found him in the kitchen getting a glass of water. "Yuki?" As lightning flashed, Kagome heard the sound of pills rattling and a bottle opening. "Are those for pain?" she asked, setting down the candle on the glass coffee table.

"Yeah. Sorry, I didn't mean to leave you alone in there."

"It's okay. I'm glad you're taking them, although I wish you had taken them sooner. I don't want you to be in pain."

She walked to the dining table and began clearing the dishes. "You ate pretty well. I'm glad you finished your milk too. Kaede would be happy about that."

His dragging footsteps came up behind her and she stood stockstill, waiting for him. As expected, his left hand snuck around her and he applied gentle pressure on her left wrist to set the dishes down. "But you ate hardly anything, Kagome. I don't think Hiro would be very happy about that. I'd warm this up for you, but I can't right now," he told her, indicating her nearly untouched bowl of soup.

"No, it's fine. Don't worry about it. I'm not hungry."

"I'm sure I have something edible in my pantry. You need to eat. I don't want you to starve." His hand left her wrist and went under her arm to lay flat against her abdomen. "You _do_ realize that when you carry my child, you'll have to gain weight."

"Child?" she yelped, panic shooting through her and she attempted to move away from him. "Now wait a minute here! What child?"

He grabbed her around the waist and held her to him. "Remember? I'm going to marry you and naturally, that means I want to have children with you."

"No, please don't say things like that. I haven't even... agreed to marry you. Don't talk like this. Come, with me. Your leg..." Ignoring his protests, she dragged him to his bedroom and made him lie down, taking his cane away from him. "Now no more talk of marriage or of getting me pregnant, okay? You need to rest."

She pulled the covers up to his chin but his hands managed to slither out from under them and grab her wrists. "Lay with me," he said, gently tugging her down. "I don't want to be by myself. Please?"

After a moment, she capitulated and allowed him to pull her down on the bed with him, covering her with his comforter so he could spoon with her without hinderance.

Once he was fast asleep, Kagome managed to sneak out of the bed without waking him and went to the living room. The lights were still out and she went to the balcony doors to see if any other buildings were without electricity. By now the rain had ceased so she stepped outside to look around. Several of the surrounding buildings were also without power, she noticed, peering over the railing. Lightning must have knocked out the power lines...

From inside the penthouse, her cellphone rang. Quickly, she retreated back inside to answer it.

"Moshi-moshi?"

"Kagome? This is Kaede. How are you, my dear?"

"I'm fine, Kaede-sama. Where are you?"

The older lady sighed into the phone. "I am at my apartment and the lights have gone out, which of course means that the elevators do not work. I'd go down the stairs, but its a very long way down and let's face it, I'm an old woman. Besides, I need all the strength I possess to deal with _him_." She chuckled. "Will you be alright with him alone for a little while longer?"

"Yes. He's sleeping now."

"Was he any trouble?"

Kagome smiled to herself. Yuki was trouble alright. With a simple look he had entranced her... with a simple kiss he had enslaved her. "No, he was a perfect gentleman," she admitted, feeling her body grow warm at the memory.

"He even drank all of his milk."

Kaede laughed. "Good lad. There just might be hope for the silly little boy yet. Remember, if you need me, just call me and I'll help you the best I can. Or you can call Dr. Yamadera. I'll call you if the power comes back on to let you know I'm on my way."

"Okay. Be careful, Kaede-sama. Goodbye." As she closed the phone, a thought of Kouga popped into her mind. She really should call him and tell him... what? That she'd finally let Yuki win her over? That she wanted to be with Yuki?

No, she couldn't do that to Kouga. He'd been a gentleman from the first moment they met and had treated her with the utmost kindness and respect ever since. How could she even entertain the thought of letting go of a man like that in such a cold and unfeeling manner? She loved Kouga... but... did she love him enough to marry him? He had already told her that he had planned to propose to her.

Could she look him in those gentle blue eyes and tell him that she... that...

Replacing her phone in her purse, she felt hot tears sting her eyes. There was no way she could hurt him like that. She did love him... _she did!_ But Yuki...

... And then there was her guardian, the man she'd grown to love and depend so heavily upon, who treated her like she was the only one in the world who mattered. But _never_ would she have imagined that Sesshoumaru would feel any more than brotherly affection for her.

Going to the sliding glass door, she stared out over the gloomy city. Once again the rain was coming down, this time in sheets. As the tears slid down her face, she pressed her forehead against the cold glass. Kouga, Yuki, Sesshoumaru. They all loved her, but why? She was not worth the trouble of pursuing and she had done nothing to warrant such devotion. She was a burden to Sesshoumaru financially and to Kouga, emotionally. As for Yuki, well, once he remembered that night of the accident, he would hate her again. It would be best for everyone if she stayed away from them.

Half turning, she slid down the glass to the floor, where she continued silently to weep. So much had happened lately, so many revelations had been learned... it was just... too much. She needed peace now; peace and quiet. After leaving here, she would go home and hide. Or perhaps, she should just go on a long trip far away from here and stay away for awhile. Yes, perhaps that was best. She would leave immediately, without a word to anyone.

Drying her tears with the backs of her hands, she stood resolutely and went to the nearest couch where she lay down upon it and instantly dropped off to sleep.

ooo

Kagome awoke to the sound of Yuki's panic-stricken yells. With a cry, she stumbled to her feet and ran to his bedroom. "Yuki! What's wrong?"

By the feeble light of the candles on his dresser, she found Yuki sitting up in bed, his hands frantically searching the mattress beside him. "Kagome? Where were you?" he cried, grasping at her hands when she arrived at the bed.

His hands were shaking and Kagome reached up to touch his face. His smooth cheeks were wet. "Are you crying, Yuki?"

Yuki flung his arms around her. "I woke up and couldn't find you! I thought... I thought you had deserted me." He buried his face against her breasts. "I was scared when I thought I was alone."

She could feel his tears soak the front of her borrowed shirt and she wrapped her arms around him, feeling his body tremble. "I was here. I wasn't going to leave you alone, Yuki."

"I feel... so helpless," he said quietly, his voice shaking. "I'm afraid that if I'm alone, something will happen to me and I won't be able to help myself. What if I fall? My... leg... isn't strong enough yet. Don't leave me again, Kagome. I don't want to be by myself." His arms tightened and Kagome allowed him to pull her down onto the bed with him. "Please stay with me. I need you."

In the semi-darkness, Kagome closed her eyes to keep the tears back. Yuki needed her.

Once more she found herself submerged beneath soft, flannel sheets and held captive next to his body. His face was buried against her neck as he continued cry quietly. Her hands stroked him gently until the sobs subsided and finally ceased.

"I love you," he said, his voice just hovering above a whisper. "I... apologize for what I did to you in the past. Will you ever forgive me? I know I was horrible to you and I know that I don't deserve you now, but I can't see my life without you in it." Deftly, he rolled over to trap her beneath him. "I need you, don't you see? I need you to care for me and love me. I don't really... have many people who love me, you know. Hiro does, even though we fight alot. But even if you are the only one who loves me, I'll be truly happy. You matter to me, Kagome. You matter so much..."

He bent down to kiss her and once again she responded automatically to him. Her arms went around his neck, pulling him down to deepen the kiss. She couldn't help herself. The man was irresistible... and she knew she couldn't leave him; not now. He was like a child who had suddenly found himself all alone in the world. Before, when he had two good legs, he could take care of himself, but now...

His confidence was gone with the realization that he needed someone to look after him now and even though she was certain it would only be for a little while longer, the fact that he had to depend on someone else for his most basic needs must have been devastating to him.

When he lifted his head, he stared down at her. Shadows hid those blazing green eyes from view. "Marry me, Kagome. Marry me and take care of me. You will want for nothing, my love. Anything you want, I'll willingly give you."

She was tempted to say yes, but something held her back. It was that little voice in the back of her mind that told her he was only lying to her to sleep with her. _'Don't do it, Kagome! Refuse him! He's lying to you and you know it all too well. Once Kaede comes to relieve you, go. Go on that trip that will take you away from everybody. He'll find someone else soon enough to take your place so... just go...'_

"I... can't, Yuki-sama. I can't."

"Kagome, I..."

She shook her head firmly and pushed at his chest, which refused to budge. "No. I can't marry you. Please try to understand."

"No, I won't accept that," was his reply. "I love you. I need you. I have to have you."

"You'll get tired of me," she said, turning her face away to hide her tears. The little voice in her head urged her on, much to her disgust. But Kagome knew it was the truth. Yuki was just acting like this because he was feeling helpless. Once he healed, he would no longer need her. "Hiro's told me some of your past. I... I don't hold it against you, but I don't want to become one of your playthings." Her voice dropped to a trembling whisper. "I couldn't bear that."

Above her, Yuki was shaking his head vehemently. "No, Kagome, no. I truly _do_ need you. Please don't push me away. Please..."

Something warm and wet landed on her lips. _His tears_, she thought sadly and licked her lips. She reached up and wiped away his tears with her hands. "Don't cry," she said, making an attempt to be cheerful.

"Then kiss me, Kagome, and stop me from crying."

Falling under his spell was far too easy, for she did as he wished.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

By the time the lights came back on, it was nearly six o'clock in the evening and the rain had finally stopped. Around seven, Kagome was already wearing her normal clothes, which she had popped into the dryer for a little while. Now she and Yuki waited for Kaede to return. Yuki was sitting on his sofa, cane across his lap, watching her tidy up his kitchen.

"You _will_ consider my offer, won't you?" he asked her for what seemed the twentieth time.

Kagome nodded, wiping down the counter with a sponge. "Yes, of course," she replied softly.

He sat back against the cushions with a sigh. "I'll do whatever it takes for you to say yes. If it means pursuing you in a clown car with ten sweaty sumo wrestlers across the Saharan desert, I'll do it."

She bowed her head to hide her smile. "Please don't do that. Think of your leg."

Yuki smiled in return. "Well, maybe not _ten_ sumo wrestlers. Five, at the most."

Kagome giggled and rinsed off the sponge before setting it on the sink near the faucets. "You're silly. How's your leg?"

He stretched out his leg and propped it up on the coffee table. "Hmm. I don't really feel a lot of pain. It's just a dull ache now. Hey, could you come here and massage my leg? It feels kind of swollen and--"

The doorbell rang and Kagome went to open it. Yuki scowled when he saw that it was Kaede. She was panting slightly and smiled gratefully at Kagome.

"Oh, my," the nurse was saying, heading for the kitchen to set some grocery bags on the counter. "That was a long blackout, wasn't it? I couldn't believe it took them so long to get the power back on." She bustled about the kitchen, putting things away and Kagome helped her. "How's the patient?" she asked suddenly and looked out over the counter at Yuki, who sat with something like a grimace on his face. "Oh. He didn't want me to come back so soon, I'll bet," she remarked with a laugh. It promptly vanished and its place was scowl more fearsome than the one Yuki had presented to her. "Well, that's just too bad. I'm back and in charge."

Yuki quaked and Kagome watched him flinch as Kaede marched right up to him and rolled up his right pant leg to examine his knee. While Kaede was busy fighting to keep Yuki from yanking his pant leg back down, Kagome gathered up her stuff and quietly snuck out of the apartment.

As she drove out of the parking garage and out onto the rain-slicked streets, Kagome knew that it would be best to take a small trip away from everybody. Perhaps to the seaside? She loved the ocean, after all and it would be a good place to think things over for awhile.

In her mind, she was calculating all the things she would need to bring. First and foremost, if this trip was to be kept secret, (at least for a little while until she got clear of Tokyo) she would need to pay with cash. Sesshoumaru, once he discovered that she was gone, would immediately suspect a kidnapping and check her cards for any new transactions. Using a credit card would give away her position and he would have a clue as to where she was. Knowing him as she did, she knew that he would hunt her down and bring her home whether or not she wanted to. So, cash it was, then.

She stopped at her bank and withdrew a good sized portion from it, turning most of it into traveler's cheques. With that done, she drove home and luckily, Hiro was out. He was going out of town with Connie-chan for a few days. Thank kami for his girlfriend, Kagome thought with relief as she hurriedly began packing her suitcase... then stopped.

_Her car._

Kagome frowned. It was a relatively new car and because her step-brother requested it, it came with one of those GPS tracking thingies... Damn!

Then a thought struck her and she smiled. Of course! Why didn't she think of that earlier?

Grabbing a duffel bag from her closet, she quickly packed her clothes and some toiletries, shoving her purse into it. She went to her closet again and changed her clothes. As she zipped up the leather jacket that Kouga had given her as a present for Christmas, she stared at her reflection. _Not bad, could be better..._

She left her room, shutting the door behind her and went downstairs, heading for the front door. In the small foyer was a little table where they kept their car keys in a small container. Kagome dropped her car keys in and retrieved the only other set, making sure that she had a house key on the ring. Locking the front door, she headed for the garage and out to the backyard.

In its little shed it sat there, in all of its shining black glory. Kagome felt a tremor of anticipation run through her. She knew she could handle it, for Kouga had continued to give her lessons and she had learned enough for her to earn a new classification on her driver's license.

After securely attaching her bag to the seat just behind her, she started it up and the Harley bike roared to life. She moved the bike forward and shut the shed door, locking it. Then she put on Hiro's helmet before settling herself back on the bike and driving away. She knew Hiro wouldn't check to see his bike when he got home and he wouldn't notice the keys to it were missing. Normally, he just tossed his car keys in the little bowl and from where they stood at the front door, the inside of the keys container couldn't be seen unless you walked right up to it. Heck, she might be back before he even noticed the keys or his bike were gone.

Shooting down the highway, she decided to head to Shizuoka. There were plenty of beaches there. Behind the helmet, Kagome smiled. She was free! And being free was such a great feeling...

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A/N: Hey guys! Um, this is a weird chapter. . I don't know if there was an actual point to it or what. Oh, and I hope nobody was too grossed out by the jalapeno thing. Gomen!


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Chapter 16

Six days after leaving home, a very rested and contented Kagome was stretched out on the beach in the resort town of Atami. On this beautiful Wednesday morning, the only thoughts in her head consisted of choosing which of the many onsens in the area she wanted to sink her body into next. She had only stayed in Shizuoka a couple of days before she got bored of it and feeling restless, she headed east over to the Izu Peninsula and straight to Atami, which sat looking out over the Pacific Ocean.

It was still too cool to swim in the blue waters but that did not stop a few brave souls. There were many families and couples walking along the beach, enjoying the bright spring sunshine and who could blame them? It was so beautiful out here! She was very happy glad she came.

Somewhere off to the right of her, a cell phone went off and automatically, Kagome reached for her side where she usually kept hers. When she couldn't locate it, she looked down and remembered that her phone was back in her hotel room. During the entire trip so far, Kagome kept the ringer off on her phone, so she wouldn't be tempted to answer whenever someone called. Although she wouldn't have known if anyone had called, since it was buried somewhere in her duffel bag. 'Oh well,' she thought and and shrugged. Her phone was probably dead by now anyway, since she'd forgotten to bring the charger with her.

Just before leaving Shizuoka, she sent Sesshoumaru a letter, telling her guardian that she was okay and that she would return soon, but said nothing more than that. She knew that he would be upset at her leaving without a word to him and he would immediately come down to retrieve her. Hopefully, he would understand that she needed to get away and that he would trust her to be out on her own. After dropping the letter off at the post office, she went off on her merry way.

As she lay there on the beach, contemplating on those deliciously warm waters of the onsens, she felt suddenly like leaving this place. For some reason, she knew that she had somewhere else to be, but just where, she didn't know. Somewhere... to the west...

Her stomach growled noisily, interrupting a vision in her head of a mist covered mountain. With an amused little chuckle, she got to her feet and stretched slowly, relishing the feel of the warm spring sunshine on her face and the gentle sea breezes that ruffled her clothes. It was funny, and she knew Sesshoumaru would be proud, but ever since she'd been in Atami her appetite had vastly improved. Perhaps it was tranquility of the ocean, or the absence of the pressures in her life, of no one worrying about her poor eating habits.

Brushing the sand from her legs and shaking it out of her clothes, she walked off the beach and headed back to her hotel with a little skip in her step.

oooooooooooooooooooo

Back in Tokyo, Sesshoumaru was about to receive Kagome's letter. He was eating breakfast with Souta as usual when his butler came in with many apologies and a frightened look on his face.

"Excuse me, sir, but this letter came in the mail two days ago. Apparently the new maid managed to misplace it and we only found it a few minutes ago."

Sesshoumaru set down his glass of orange juice with a slight frown. "Oh, that's alright, Jaken. No harm done." He held out his hand for the letter.

Jaken placed the letter in his employer's hand and scuttled back hurriedly. He knew the moment he saw the handwriting on the envelope that Sesshoumaru would not be pleased.

His master glanced down at the letter. Delicate brows immediately snapped downwards and blazing golden eyes shot up to glare at the trembling butler. _"What the hell is this?"_ he snarled at the man.

"I... I... don't know... sir," Jaken stammered.

Making an attempt to calm himself, Sesshoumaru glanced again at the postmark. It was dated three days earlier from Shizuoka in the Chubu region. Carefully, but with trembling hands, he opened the envelope and removed the letter within. With his heart pounding like a jackhammer, he read it. It was from Kagome, telling him that she was doing fine and that she would return soon. His heart froze and grew heavy in his chest. She was _gone_? He hadn't even known she'd left Tokyo to begin with.

He looked down at the postmark again. Shizuoka. Two hours away using the Tomei Expressway...

But what really bothered him was that he hadn't even taken time from his busy schedule to check on her. The very least he could have done was call her. One phone call just to make sure she was okay... but he hadn't and now she was sending him letters from another city. Once again he'd failed in his duty to her...

_Unless... unless something had happened to her._

What if someone had snatched his beloved and was holding her hostage? And thanks to some silly, stupid little maid, he'd gotten the letter two days late. An idiot housemaid, paired with his inability to keep track of the woman he loved, sent his already boiling temper shooting through the roof and he surged to his feet, grabbing hold of the ends of the table. His vision had darkened and his chest heaved painfully. _Something_ had happened to her, he just knew it!

He also knew that Kagome wouldn't always tell him if something was wrong or if she needed help, but if she had planned to go somewhere, she would tell him that at least. No, something terrible must have happened to her and she had been forced to write this letter.

With a herculean effort not to sweep the his breakfast dishes off onto the floor, he carefully brushed them aside and lay the letter down on the table in front of him. It was all he could _not_ to take the entire table and throw it across the room. "Jaken," he said with forced calmness, "get me the phone."

When the phone was retrieved, Sesshoumaru put through a call to an old friend of his who had relocated to Shizuoka several years earlier. "Naraku, hello. This is Sesshoumaru. I have a very great favor to ask of you."

The man on the other end chuckled, his deep voice filled with amusement. "Sure, Sesshoumaru. Anything for an old friend. Tell me, what can I do for you?"

"I need you to find Kagome."

"Hmm. She's your ward, right? Yes, I remember her. Pretty little thing she is, too. Gone missing, has she?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes squeezed shut. He did not want to hear that word used in connection to her. "I... don't know for certain. I just received a letter from her this morning... it actually arrived a couple of days ago, but one of my new housemaids managed to lose it. From what I gathered so far, Kagome was in Shizuoka up until Thursday, where she posted it."

"I see." There was some clicking sounds on the other end from a keyboard. "I'll get my people on it right away. Oh, I have a question."

"Go ahead."

Naraku chuckled softly. "About Kagome. By any chance, is she still single?"

With a menacing snarl, Sesshoumaru quickly hung up the phone, but an overwhelming feeling of helplessness swept over him and he flung the phone across the room where is broken into several pieces. _What if she __**had**__ been kidnapped? Was her kidnapper was hurting his angel? What if she was in pain and there was no one around to help her? Oh, god...what if she was being... raped? _

"Jaken!" he roared, his pulse pounding like a stampede of wild horses in his head. "Get me another goddamn phone in here _now_!"

"Yes, sir!" Jaken cried and ran off.

Bringing his fists down with a loud, impatient bang on the table, he glared off in the distance, his mind imagining the worst happening to his precious girl. But a gentle hand on his forearm made him pause and he turned to look at the young man sitting calmly beside him.

Souta, he thought for the millionth time, looked exactly like his sister. Right now, his enormous chocolate-hued eyes stared up at him and for a moment, he felt as though it was _she_ who was looking at him.

"Perhaps she wanted to get away," said the young man reasonably. "From what I hear, a lot has been going on in her life. I think she's fine, Sesshoumaru. If she wasn't, I would feel it. Please, don't worry so. She's a grown woman and knows how to take care of herself."

The boy's presence seemed to soothe his rage and he hung his head. "I know but... I can't help _but_ worry about her."

Souta sighed and shook his head. "I'm telling you that you really don't need to worry. My sister is just fine."

There was a commotion outside the breakfast room and a second later, Jaken burst in, carrying in a cordless phone and handed it to his employer. "Who are you going to call, sir?" he dared to ask.

Sesshoumaru angrily snatched the phone out of his butler's hand. "Someone who wasn't doing his job."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Hiro was rushing home, feeling pretty upset with his brother. He _really_ hated being roused from sleep.

Yuki had called him at his hotel room in a state of alarm, asking him where Kagome was and why she hadn't been to see him in almost a week. Hiro told Yuki that he had no clue as to where she was and would have gladly hung up on the blond pest if Yuki hadn't burst into tears about how he never should have asked her to marry him so soon. He believed that she'd run away because of him.

That woke Hiro up straight away and he demanded when this new bit of outragousness occurred. Through the sniffling and the sobs, Yuki told him and that when he tried calling the very next day, she didn't answer her phone. He'd called and called her every day, but he always got her voicemail.

"Maybe she finally got wise," Hiro had remarked unkindly. Yuki called him a heartless bastard and hung up.

Now as Hiro was turning into the driveway, he saw Kagome's car. So, she _was_ home. Kagome probably didn't want to answer the phone. Poor girl was most likely really confused and didn't know what to do with herself after receiving two offers of marriage in the space of a week.

He pulled up next to her car and got out, grabbing his suitcase. Then he went inside the house, tossed his keys into the container on the table and after shutting the door behind him, went upstairs. "Kagome?" he called out. "Kagome? Are you home?"

No answer.

After putting his baggage in his room, he went to her bedroom and found it empty. Going in, he flipped on the lightswitch and saw that her empty suitcase lay open on the bed.

At that moment, his cell phone went off. Once he'd dug it out of his pocket, he looked at the caller id. Damn! It was Sesshoumaru. What could _he_ possibly want? Taking a deep breath, he answered the phone.

"Moshi-moshi."

"Hiro! Where is she?" demanded Morikawa in a tightly controlled voice.

All at once, a disturbing thought hit Hiro. First Yuki, and now Sesshoumaru, calling him to find out where Kagome was. "I don't know," Hiro answered, snapping off the lights and exiting the room.

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru, but I really don't know. I mean, her car is still here."

"Is she in the house?"

Hiro went downstairs and looked around. "No, I called out but got no response. The house is very quiet."

"Damn! That must mean she's still in Shizuoka."

Hiro frowned. "What? Shizuoka? What's she doing there?"

"I received a letter from her this morning postmarked in Shizuoka three days ago."

"No way, that's ridiculous. She would have said something to you or me if she planned on leaving Tokyo. Besides, her car is still here. What, do you think she rented a car for the trip?" Hiro went to the foyer to retrieve his keys from the table.

"It's beginning to look like it. I'll ask my credit card company to watch for any transactions on her card."

"Okay. Hopefully she's using it," Hiro said, reaching blindly into the bowl for his keys. There seemed to be less than three sets of keys in the container and he peered in. There were indeed only two sets of keys... but he knew there should be three. "Oh, no," muttered Hiro and ran outside, ignoring Sesshoumaru completely. He dashed off to the shed where kept his Harley, but even before he opened the door, he already knew what he would find. Or rather, what he would _not_ find...

Raising the phone back up to his ear, he caught the tail end of Sesshoumaru's rant. "...damn it, Hiro! What's happening?"

Sesshoumaru is going to kill me, Hiro thought, swallowing hard, feeling sweat roll down his back in icy streaks. "My... motorcycle. It's gone. Kagome took my motorcycle."

There was a deafening roar on the other end and sounds of things breaking. Sesshoumaru let up just long enough for Hiro to catch the phrase, "I'll slice Kouga's throat open while he sleeps!" or something to that effect.

Hiro sighed and hung up. If he didn't know better, he'd think that Kagome bided her time until everyone who watched over her was distracted by other things: Sesshoumaru with work, Kouga being out of town on business, Yuki indisposed with his bad leg. As for himself, he was spending time with his girlfriend. But Kagome was incapable of doing anything devious, so he nixed that idea. So how did she do it? How had she managed to slip through everyone's fingers so easily?

More importantly, where was she now... and just why did she leave?

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

There was someone who knew of Kagome's whereabouts. Well, technically, there were three: Miroku and his two favored henchmen, Kanako and Hachi. The latter two had been personally assigned to Kagome by Miroku and their only assignment was to watch over Kagome as often as possible.

However, on the day of the blackout, Kanako and Hachi were off, but Ginta, who agreed to take their place as Miroku's eyes on the young woman, was on his way to her house. On her way to see Yuki, Kagome had stopped for gas and like before, Ginta was also filling up when he happened to look around and see her. His first reaction was to call Kouga, but then he remembered that both Kouga and Hakkaku had gone north to Niigata on an errand for Yuki.

He followed her in his car as she headed downtown. As he began to wonder just where she was leading him, he saw her turn into the parking garage of Yuki's apartment. Grabbing his phone, he called Miroku and told him where he'd followed Kagome to. Miroku thanked him for his diligence and asked him to wait there until his men arrived.

Little did Kanako and Hachi know, they would have a very long day ahead of them. First, with the blackout and then having to wait through those long dragging hours while rain came constantly down, making them sleepy. They were glad when she finally came out and drove home. When they watched her enter her house and shut the door, Kanako sat back against his seat as Hachi shut off the car's engine.

"Well, it looks to be another long night," Kanako muttered to Hachi, linking his hands behind his head. "I don't know why Miroku insists we watch her. Nothing ever happens." He sighed heavily. "I'd tell Miroku where to get off... if I wasn't so fucking scared of him."

Hachi shivered. "I know! He can be so scary! But he must not be _that_ bad. He has a girlfriend, right?"

"What difference does that make? She might be into torture and punishment. He's certainly into handing it out like it was Halloween candy. I'm telling you, the guy is twisted."

"If you say so, Kanako. But I think, for the most part, he's a nice man."

Kanako shifted his gaze to look upon his partner. "Oh my god. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you had a crush on the bastard. What, do you call him dan'na-sama, too?"

A look of guilt flashed across Hachi's reddening face and he looked away. Kanako was shocked. "You're kidding me! You call Miroku that?" He burst into laughter.

While Kanako continued to ridicule the furiously blushing Hachi, neither of them noticed Kagome locking the front door behind her before heading around the side of the house with a duffel bag in her hand. Needless to say, both of them were startled at the sound of a motorcycle engine coming to life and revving up. They were even more shocked to see a slim figure, clad in a leather jacket and blue jeans on the seat of a black motorcycle come shooting out from the backyard of Kagome's house and out onto the street.

As the girl they were supposed to be watching drove away down the street, Kanako had visions of coming home to finding his wife with her throat slashed open. "Damn it, Hachi! Follow her!" he cried, his voice full of terror.

The car roared to life and Hachi put the pedal to the metal, sending them flying after her. When Kanako had recovered enough to speak several minutes later, he got on the phone and called Miroku, who apparently was about to head home from his office. "She's got some sort of bag attached to the seat behind her. It looks as though she might be going out of town, sir."

"Then stay behind her. It's getting dark and Kagome is a careful young woman. She'll stop before it gets too late. Which way is she heading?"

"Okay. Um, it looks like she's heading south on the Tomei Expressway."

Miroku was silent for a moment. "Hmm. She'll make it to Shizuoka in a couple of hours and most likely she'll stop there. Well, whenever she stops, call me."

Just as Miroku predicted, Kagome did indeed stop in Shizuoka. When Kanako informed Miroku of this, he was already on his way heading south. Miroku called Sango and told her that he had to take a business trip to Nagoya and would call her later.

An hour and a half later, Miroku pulled into hotel parking lot where his men were waiting patiently outside in their car near a black Harley Davidson motorcycle. "Thanks boys, you can head back to Tokyo now. I'll take it from here." As soon as they drove off, Miroku grabbed the tracking device he'd brought with him and attached it to an inconspicuous place on the Harley bike. After ascertaining that it worked properly, he got in his car and drove to the hotel lobby to request a room.

Once he parked on the opposite side of the building, he went up to his room and straight to bed.

He followed her around the next day. Tracking her was pretty easy; he soon caught up with her at a small diner where she ate breakfast. The day passed quickly, but there were many times he wanted to alert her to his presence so he wouldn't need to sneak around like this.

When she checked out the next day, he wondered where she was planning to go next. Back to Tokyo, he presumed. But when she mailed the letter, he'd begun to wonder again. By the time he was following her as she traveled east toward the Izu Peninsula, he knew she was taking a much longer trip than he had expected her to.

And when she drove straight into Atami, Miroku knew that this was the perfect opportunity to pop up out of the blue. He waited three days to encounter her and it was Saturday morning when he watched as she was walked back to her hotel from the beach. At last... no more prowling around. And besides, he had an overwhelming urge to head west...

"Kagome? Is that you?" he called out.

She whirled around and shot him a brilliant smile when she recognized him. "Miroku! How are you?" She ran over to him and threw her arms around him. "What are you doing here? How's Sango? Is she with you?"

He squeezed her tightly. "I'm doing great. Was a bit lonely until I saw you, though." He winked at her and she giggled. "Um, let's see if I can remember your other queries. I'm here on business, Sango's fine and no, she isn't with me. Did I answer them all?"

"Yes, I think that was all of them." She linked her arm through his. "Were you going somewhere right now?"

"No, why? Oh, Kagome! Were you planning to seduce me?" He waggled his brows suggestively at her.

Kagome looked shocked and wrenched her arm away. "No! That's absurd, Miroku. Why should I wish to do that? I could never do that to Sango-chan!"

Miroku laughed and reclaimed her arm, slipping it through his again. "I'm kidding, Kagome. Keep your hair on, short stuff. I'd never do anything with you like that... unless of course you begged me to--" He laughed again as she tried pulling away from him, but his hand grasped hers and he pulled her along the street. "I'm joking, Kagome, really. Come, I'm starving. Let's go eat. It's on me."

"You're not going to..._grope_ me, are you?" she asked warily, allowing him to lead her to a small restaurant she'd eyed on the way to the beach.

He stopped walking and turned to look at her. "Not unless you want me to, Kagome," he said seriously. When she began sputtering, he put a hand up. "Look, you never let me properly grope you back in college and I'm still waiting for that chance. Besides, Sango knows how I felt about you back then. I told her right before we started dating and she understood. She didn't like it, of course, but she told me that if you ever agreed to allow me to grope you then I should. You know, to get it out of my system. She promised not to say anything about it if you allowed this poor man standing before you to touch your bum lovingly with his cursed hand..." He held up his right hand for her inspection. "It _is_ cursed, Kagome. I swear it is."

Unable to help herself, Kagome laughed and rolled her eyes. "Of course it is, Miroku. But um, I'm a bit hungry right now. Could you attempt to grope me some other time?"

"You mean I get to? Really? Is that a promise?" Miroku smirked as Kagome groaned and clapped a hand over her eyes. "Or are you just telling me something to shut me up?"

Hearing the 'wounded' tone in his voice, Kagome looked quickly back up at him. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean..." Her lower lip began to tremble.

Seeing her face fall, Miroku suddenly felt like a heel for talking this way to her and he gathered her into his arms. "No, _I'm_ sorry. It's not your fault that I possess less than admirable scruples about touching women's rears."

She rested against him for a moment, then her body stiffened in his embrace and she pulled back to look at him. "But Miroku, you _did_ grope me before."

"Huh? No, I haven't. Believe me, I would have remembered something like that."

"Yes, you did. Remember? That night we all went to _Netsu_. You grabbed me and your hands went roaming everywhere..." Miroku's dark blue eyes shifted uneasily away and she laughed. "Hiro grabbed you by the neck and Sango threatened to do something cruel to a certain part of anatomy."

Miroku's lightly tanned face paled. "Oh, yeah. It must have slipped my mind." He laughed uncertainly.

Kagome shot him one of her heart-stopping smiles. "I guess that means you've already fulfilled your mission to grope me. You don't have to lay a finger on me now, huh? Isn't that great? I mean, you couldn't actually _want_ to touch me, right? In _that_ way, I mean. Perhaps your hand just needs something to do without Sango around." She patted his arm and walked into the restaurant, leaving a rather disappointed Miroku outside.

She was completely wrong. He _did_ want to grope her. It would be the very last grope on a woman who wasn't Sango and he realized with some consternation, that even though he loved Sango more than anything, a tiny part of him had never been able to let Kagome go. He wondered why that should be. Sango filled his heart and his mind, but something drew him to Kagome that didn't allow him to release her.

But then again, Kagome _had_ been the first woman that had ever wanted to get to know _him_, showed an interest in _him_ and his thoughts and ideas. She was also the first and only woman who had refrained from slapping him when he was on the grope.

Shaking his head, he followed her inside.

ooo

They spent the rest of the day together and as the sun was setting, they sat side by side on the beach. Kagome had been very quiet for the past hour and Miroku was concerned. Reaching for her hand, he asked her what was wrong. Her small fingers instinctively interlaced with his while she stared out towards the sea. The sun was behind them and its weakening rays highlighted her black hair with shades of red.

"I need to move on," she said quietly, "to another place. I keep getting the feeling that I should head west. There is something I feel I need to do." She frowned slightly and turned her head to look at him. "But I don't know what it is."

As her eyes studied him, Miroku suddenly a vision of a mountain... and temples. He too, felt that there was something... important... that he needed to do.

"K-yoto?" she asked, almost to herself. "No... that's not right..." Her eyebrows drew together in a puzzled frown. "Earlier, I saw... a misty mountain..."

Stunned that she saw what he was seeing, Miroku felt that Kyoto was close, but like her, knew that that was not the correct answer. A moment later, he knew. "No, not Kyoto. Osaka."

Her large brown eyes blinked up at him and soon comprehension filled her eyes. "Yes, Osaka. That's right. How did you..."

Miroku shrugged and shook his head. "I don't know; it just came to me. Come on, I have something I need to give you."

He saw her to her room and since he was staying in the same hotel, he went down to the next floor to his room. After finding what he needed, he returned to her room and scribbled something down on a piece of paper. "Here," he said, handing the paper to her. "Tomorrow, check out and drive to Osaka. Go to that address; I've drawn a little map for you. I'll meet you there in the afternoon." Reaching into his front trouser pocket, he pulled out a wad of bills. "Here, take this, just in case."

She tried to push his hand away, but he pressed the money into her hand. "Look, if you don't use it, then you may give it back to me if you wish. I just want to make sure you have plenty of cash in case of an emergency. I have to go now. I'm going to check out tonight."

"What? Why? Where are you going?"

"Back to Tokyo, Kagome. I have something I need to get before I join you in Osaka." He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "Good night, sweetie. I'll see you tomorrow. Be careful on the road." With that he was gone.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sesshoumaru wasn't alone when he received Naraku's call that evening. Hiro, Jaken, Kouga, Hakkaku, Ginta and Souta were all in attendance. After several long hours of waiting impatiently for news of Kagome, the phone finally rang. Everyone except Souta jumped.

"Yes?" barked Sesshoumaru into the phone before putting Naraku on speaker phone.

Naraku chuckled. "My, that was quick. Been waiting with bated breath by the--"

"Cut the crap, Naraku. Where is she?"

"Alas, that is not known."

There was a chorus of groans and the deep-voiced man at the other end laughed. "Are you having a convention, Sesshoumaru?"

Morikawa looked ready to destroy his second telephone of the day with his bare hands. "What _is_ known, Naraku?"

Clearing his throat, Naraku was now all business. "Kagome _was_ here. She arrived Thursday night and was last seen here on Saturday, early afternoon. It appears that she then traveled eastward. My guess is that she headed to Atami. It's a good sized city, easy enough to get lost in the crowds. I sent my people over there already, but I doubt she's still there. I have a feeling that she doesn't want to be found, Sess."

"Yes, it's beginning to look that way," murmured Sesshoumaru, who had begun to pace. Hiro and Souta knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep until Kagome was found. "Her credit card hasn't been used since last Thursday afternoon."

The sound of hopelessness in Sesshoumaru's voice must have moved Naraku, for he said firmly, "I'll find her, Sess. Don't worry about it. I have my best people working on this. I'll call you when we get any new developments."

When Sesshoumaru hung up the phone he walked to the window and stared out into the darkness. "How could I have allowed myself to get so wrapped up in work like this? She's been gone for almost seven days and I only find out today that my little girl's been missing for a whole week." He bowed his silver head and he leaned heavily against the window frame. "Why didn't she tell me she was going anywhere? Am I _that_ terrible of a guardian that she must hide things from me?"

Silence fell over the group and Souta got to his feet in order to make his to Sesshoumaru's side. Taking the pale man's hand in his, Souta leaned against him. "You're an awesome guardian, aniue. Although sometimes I think you're a little too overprotective when it comes to Kagome. She isn't made of glass, you know, but I see your point of view. Kagome nearly died when you weren't paying attention to her, but she and I both know that you were still getting used to being in control of a company worth billions."

Sesshoumaru shook his head dejectedly. "That's still no excuse, Souta." He lifted a hand and ruffled the boy's dark hair gently. "A responsibility is a responsibility. The care of you and your sister were, and still are, my responsibility."

Souta, in an uncharacteristic display of affection, threw his arms around Sesshoumaru's waist, hugging him tightly. "Yes, and Kagome is aware of that. She's fine, aniue, I swear to you that she is. She just needed some time to herself, that's all. If you think about it, Kagome is rarely alone except at night. But during the day, she's usually got either you, Hiro or Kouga always with her."

"Souta's right," Hiro spoke up. "Kagome never really has a chance to be by herself. Taking a trip by herself is something she'd always dreamed about, but never felt she should go through with it because it would worry you too much." He looked at Sesshoumaru, whose arms had tightened around the teenager.

Kouga got to his feet and went to pour himself a drink at the wet bar. "You probably would have told her she couldn't go anyway," he said into the glass before tipping it back. When everyone except Souta glared at him, he stared back at them innocently. "What? It's true. It took him forever to get used to the fact she had a boyfriend."

"I'm still not used to it," grumbled Morikawa's testily.

"Hmph."

"Silence, Matsuno." Sesshoumaru released Souta and kissed the top of his head. "Hey you, it's time for bed. You've got school tomorrow."

"Okay. Night, Sesshoumaru."

"Good night, Souta."

When the boy had gone, Hiro rose. "I should go home now. It's getting late."

Ginta and Hakkaku also got up and Kouga joined them. "Yeah, we should leave too. Call me in case something comes up."

"Me, too," Hiro added with a yawn.

Anger darkened the fair skin of Sesshoumaru's perfect face. "Fine, you may go, but know this. If something happens to my girl, I will blame the both of you just as I already blame myself." He plowed ahead ignoring their protests. "Hiro, you should have checked in on her more, seeing as how I placed her in your care. And as for you," growled Sesshoumaru, leveling an even darker glare on Kouga. "You should not have taught her to ride a motorcycle in the first damn place."

"Why the hell not?" Kouga shot back angrily. "She had every right to learn if she wanted to and believe me, she _wanted_ to!"

Sesshoumaru leaned forward and brought his hands, palms down, on the top of his desk with a loud bang. _"But that's not what __**I **__wanted!"_ he roared, golden eyes ablaze.

"What you want and what _she_ wants are two different things, Sesshoumaru!" Kouga yelled back at him. "Why can't you let her live the way _she_ wants to?"

Blood seemed to fill Sesshoumaru's eyes, causing him to look demoniacal. "Why? The last time I _left_ her alone, she weighed about 75 lbs and nearly died of heart failure at the age of twenty," he hissed through tightly clenched teeth. "Do you honestly believe I would dare to take such a chance with her life again?"

Kouga blinked, took a step back and said nothing.

"Now if that's all," Sesshoumaru muttered, his voice tight with anger. "I wish to be left alone now." He sank down heavily onto his leather swivel chair and swung around to stare out the window behind him.

As Kouga and the Kawase brothers left in silence, Hiro stayed behind for a moment. He knew he should say something comforting to the man. "I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru. You're right; I _should_ have checked in with her while I was gone."

There was silence for nearly a minute, during which Hiro suspected that Sesshoumaru was composing himself before he replied. He kept his back to Hiro and Hiro wondered vaguely what expression Sesshoumaru had on his face. If it was anything like the one he had directed at Kouga...

"But?"

Hiro frowned. "But... what?"

"You should have checked in with her while you were gone, but--?"

"Kagome _wanted_ me to go out of town with my girlfriend. The last thing she said to me was for Connie and myself to have fun--"

The chair whipped around and Hiro found himself caught in the deadly rays of Sesshoumaru's eyes. "So you just _left_ her? All by herself? In your rush to be with your woman, did you forget that Kagome was just recovering from a nasty cold?"

"Sesshoumaru, I--"

"You are correct about me being overprotective of her; I know I am. Very much so. And even though I have been incredibly busy of late, I was still well aware of her illness. You know as well as I do that Kagome's health hasn't been good for the past five years. What if she'd gotten sick again while you were gone? It's happened before, when she had an illness that wouldn't go away. You've seen it first-hand, Hiro. She's weak and she refuses to eat..." His face tightened with silent rage.

Hiro watched as Sesshoumaru desperately reined in his emotions as best he could. The older man shut his eyes and lay his head back against the leather chair. "I love her, Hiro, more than you could possibly imagine and the last thing I want is for her to get hurt. Therefore, I have come to a decision. I'm sure you will have very little objection to it."

Eyeing Sesshoumaru warily, Hiro sat down and waited for him to speak. "Yes? What is it?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes slid open and he stared passively over at the younger man. "It will give you the opportunity to spend all the time you wish with your young lady." He sat up straight in his chair and assumed a very business-like pose. Hiro knew from the man's posture that he would not like what was about to come out of Morikawa's mouth.

"Yes?" Hiro asked again, trying to keep his hands from shaking. He felt like a student under the whip of a cruel headmaster.

Cocking his head to the side, Sesshoumaru eyed Hiro with an unwavering, unblinking stare. "I will find you a place in my company best suited to your talents, set you up with an apartment which will be rent-free for one year _if_ you move out of Kagome's house by next week."

"You want me to leave?" exclaimed Hiro, shocked. "But why?"

"It should be obvious, Mr. Yamadera. Your girlfriend has taken precedence over the young woman I had asked you to take care of. But it seems that you are no longer interested in doing so. You have done great things for my little one and for that I shall be eternally grateful. However, I do not wish for you to have charge of her any longer, so I am dismissing you. Do I make myself clear?"

"Sesshoumaru--"

"Do I make myself clear?" Sesshoumaru repeated, this time adding a little something extra to his voice that seemed to dare Hiro to contradict him.

"Y-yes, sir. Perfectly clear."

"Good. By Friday, I shall have found something for you. I'm sure you'll do just fine working for me. After all, you are already used to me. That is all for now. You may leave," he said with a dismissive nod at Hiro, who sat, still stunned.

After a moment, Hiro got slowly to his feet and left.

Sesshoumaru watched the young man go. It was a very great pity, for he liked Hiro alot. No doubt he would make a fine regional manager one day.

Leaning back in his chair, he sat staring up at the ceiling. He would not get any sleep this night...or any night after this. At least, not until Kagome was found...

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Early on Thursday afternoon, Kagome drove into Osaka. After spending an hour following the directions on Miroku's makeshift map, she finally found the place she was looking for. Pulling up to the address that Miroku had directed she go to, Kagome raised the visor of her borrowed helmet. It was a family shrine, very much like the one she had grown up on.

Parking the motorcycle on the shrine grounds, she had just removed her helmet when someone brushed past her. Someone wearing purple monk's robes.

"Oh, gomen nasai!" Kagome cried, bowing low to the houshi. "I didn't realize--" A familiar laugh startled her and she straightened, frowning. "Miroku? Is that you?"

Miroku stood before her, resplendent in the purple and dark blue of his robes. "Yes, it's me. Surprised?"

Kagome nodded and reached out to touch his sleeve. "Very much so. But... why are you wearing these? You aren't a houshi."

"I am, actually," he informed her with a smile, "and this shrine belongs to my family. That man over there is my father." He pointed in the direction of a tall, imposing looking figure in white robes, talking with a mature couple. The elder houshi was saying something to the couple and all three laughed.

"He heard a new joke today concerning chickens and road crossings," Miroku said with some amusement and shook his head. "My father loves stupid jokes for some reason. He loves sharing them even more."

"I see. Well, what do we do now?"

Miroku looked at Kagome and handed her a package wrapped in brown paper. "This is for you. You'll need it."

Puzzled, Kagome opened the package. "Miroku! This is...!" She shot him a startled look. "Where did you get this?"

He nodded, reaching in and pulling out the red and white clothing. "It certainly is and I got them from your grandfather. He was... hopeful. He said he had been praying that you would return to your family shrine and continue doing what you were born to do."

"But its been so long," she whispered, staring down at her miko clothing.

"You won't have forgotten a thing, I promise."

oooo

Later that day, after putting the motorcycle in a shed on the shrine grounds and leaving her bag in the hands of the elder houshi, Miroku introduced Kagome to his father, who was delighted to meet such a lovely young miko. Miroku and Kagome both had cleansing baths and then traveled to Mount Koya to stay at one of the overnight lodging temples.

At the base, they took a cable car up to the mountain. Once there, they walked until they found a particularly lovely temple surrounded by mist. They knew this was the one they had seen in their visions and went in. The head monk greeted them both very warmly and expressed his delight in having a miko visit his humble temple. They were soon shown to their quarters, which were side by side and then given a small tour of the grounds.

"We have been expecting you, Kagome-sama, Miroku-sama. Stay as long as you must. I know you will discover what it is that you seek." Silently, he withdrew, leaving the houshi and miko alone to meditate, surrounded by the sounds of nature flowing peacefully about them.

ooo

When Sunday rolled around, Kagome and Miroku were kneeling before a small shrine, praying. It was a lovely, overcast day with a sweet, fragrant, misty spring rain falling gently about them. As they lifted their heads and lowered their hands at the same time, they looked out over the mountain side, which sloped gently downwards towards the earth. They could just see the little village below from where the cable cars came peering tentatively out from the light fog.

"It's a magnificent day," Kagome said softly, not wanting to disturb the peacefulness of silence around them.

Beside her, Miroku nodded. "That it is."

They turned to look at each other and smiled. How strange it was to be in tune with someone so well that each movement, each thought was almost perfectly synchronized. Kagome knew what Miroku was thinking and she knew that he knew what _she_ was thinking. "I am happy to have found my peace," she told him, although it was unnecessary.

"As am I." He held out his hand to her and smiled when she took it. "When we return, I shall ask Sango to marry me, as I should have done a long time ago and apologize for all I've put her through. I am excited to end this unprincipled life I've led up until now. I can't recall how many times my job had managed to pull me away from Sango."

Kagome nodded and squeezed her hand. "When you ask for forgiveness, she will readily grant it. She's in love with you, Miroku."

"I know. I'm the luckiest man on earth. As for you," he said, bringing her hand up to his lips for a quick kiss, "Your grandfather will be overjoyed that you have returned to him. Its time that you took up your place as the shrine's miko once more."

"Yes, and I am happy that you will join me and we will learn from the wisdom of my grandfather. He will be excited to have a young monk working for him, willing to learn."

They looked away from each other and once again stared out over the misty scenery below, fingers still entwined. Kagome's mind had never felt clearer. She knew what she wanted to do and what she needed to do. It was terrible, having to admit that at one time she had wished to have both Kouga and Yuki, for she could not decided which she loved more. But now it was clear that though she was physically ready for a relationship with either man, her heart and mind were not prepared for it. She had a childish wish to keep the two men at her beck and call, knowing that they would do whatever it was she asked of them.

What she needed to do, therefore, _had_ to take precedence over what she wanted to do. Right now, she needed to keep her distance from them until her mind and heart had grown... matured. Perhaps when that happened, she would know which man to choose, if she decided to choose one at all.

As they continued to sit there, allowing nature's power to wrap around them, they suddenly felt disturbed. Someone was looking for Kagome.

Their clasped hands tightened their grip. They did not want anyone to disturb the peace they'd spent nearly three days trying to achieve. But they knew, eventually, they would have to leave this place and return to Tokyo.

"They'll come for me," Kagome whispered. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head back to allow the soft drizzling drops to fall on her face.

"He wants you back," Miroku added, pulling her to him. She followed his lead willingly and her body sagged almost gratefully against his. "It will be difficult to part from you, Kagome, even if it's for a little while. I've never felt such peace before and it was because of you that I found it."

"I feel the same."

"I know."

Miroku smiled as his gaze fell on the top of her head. Her face turned up to his and just as it had from the moment the peace came upon them and enveloped them, she felt his soul and hers dance about each other happily.

_"Soul mates,"_ the elder monk had informed them when Miroku had asked about it after experiencing it for the first time. _"You two are soul mates but have been separated for a long time. You had the same visions of this place, of coming here because you needed to discover each other and to seek answers for your unanswered questions. Your souls have finally awakened from their long sleep."_

_"But I'm in love with another woman. How can Kagome and I be soul mates?"_

_"Easily. Not every soul mate falls in love with each other. They're like... cosmic identical twins really. Soul mates can also come back as best friends of the same sex for instance, without any romantic relationship taking place between them. You never know where you'll meet the other, or when, or in what form." _

"Come," Miroku said, getting to his feet. He helped her up. "Let's tell the elder we must leave soon. I want to return to Sango."

They strolled off into the mist, anxious to return home.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A/N: Hey guys, its me again! I don't know why the story took a weird turn. All I know was that around 3am this morning, Kagome and Miroku being soul mates seemed like a really cool idea. I know the mind connecting thing is probably pretty lame, but trust me, it will come in handy later on.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Chapter 17

Late Saturday night, Sesshoumaru was pacing in his home office, waiting for Naraku's phone call that would tell him where to find Kagome. But no call came and though the days without sleep were taking its toll, he ignored them. How could he sleep without knowing where she was or if she was hurt?

Kagome had been careful covering her tracks. There still were no transactions made to her credit card and he had gone beyond worrying and his mind was now numb. The same questions went round and round in his head in an endless, vicious circle. _Where had she gone? Was anyone with her? Did anyone kidnap her? If she left on her own, then why did she leave?_

His body moved automatically around his office, one foot in front of the other, treading an invisible path around the room.

Souta and Jaken watched the tall, hunched figure make its continuous rounds about the room. They had already stopped trying to convince Sesshoumaru to try and sleep; he simply would not listen.

"She's fine, aniue," Souta said softly. "Believe me."

But Sesshoumaru did not answer. He seemed to be lost in a world of his own, for his eyes, once bright and keen, were now staring dully down at the well worn carpet under his feet.

The heavy silence was broken by the feeble bleating of the telephone on Sesshoumaru's desk. For a moment, no one moved. Sesshoumaru stood still and stared with a startled gaze at the phone as it rung again.

It was Souta who moved first. He grabbed the phone and put it on speaker. "Yes? Morikawa residence," he said, eyes going to his step-brother whose own eyes had widened, life once more lighting up the brilliant gold.

"Souta? Hey, big guy, this is Naraku. Where's Sesshoumaru?"

As soon as he realized that it was Naraku's voice he heard, Sesshoumaru was across the room and at his desk. "Yes! Naraku! Have you found her?" He grabbed the edge of his desk and leaned forward slightly, resting his weight on the cool marble below him.

There was a tsking noise on the other end and a sigh. "And here I was, thinking that you actually had a little bit of faith in me. Yes, we found her."

Dropping to his knees with a shuddering breath, he retained his hold on the desk. "Is she alive? Is she okay?"

Naraku laughed. "Yeah, Sess. She's fine--"

"Where? Where is she?"

"Oi, baka, give me a chance to finish telling you. Sheesh. So yeah, we picked up her trail again and traced her to Osaka."

Lifting his head, Sesshoumaru glared at the phone. "Osaka? What on earth for? What's in Osaka that made her feel like she must desert me and leave me worrying like crazy?"

"That, I don't know, Sess. Sorry. We lost her there. You've got to give me more time."

Souta watched his guardian press his forehead against the end of the desk and he felt bad for him. Of course, Sesshoumaru wouldn't be attuned to Kagome like _he_ was. Souta knew his sister and he knew the reason why she had left. There were just too many things for her to handle, to adjust to. Men wanting her, whereas before it had only been Inuyasha who had lavished _that_ kind of attention on her. Now there was Kouga, Yuki... and of course, Sesshoumaru.

Souta had had a feeling about Sesshoumaru for awhile now. Their step-brother had always cared deeply for Kagome, but the vibes that came from him were too strong for Souta to ignore. He even knew _when_ Sesshoumaru was thinking about his sister, from the way the vibrations rippled off of him in strong waves and the older man would stare off into space, his gaze softening.

Then, that night before Inuyasha left for Kagoshima when Souta had carefully observed Sesshoumaru just to test his theory. Whenever the elder Morikawa looked or spoke to Inuyasha or him, the air around them was calm and placid. It was just when he turned his attention on the girl sitting opposite him that Souta could practically feel the air in the room crackle with sudden excitement. The man's very aura went haywire, shifting and swirling into soft shades of pink and red.

Thank kami he'd continued to practice reading auras, just like his grandfather wanted, or else he'd never have known for certain. But whatever. The man kneeling on the floor was suffering and Souta knew he should try to ease his pain, although the story he was about to tell might not go over so well...

Souta sank to his own knees, joining Sesshoumaru on the floor. "Once, before my father died, he took all four of us to Osaka. There are many temples there, aniue, but about 25 minutes away from the city is a place called Mount Koya. On it are many temples and shrines, places which allow travelers to stay overnight. When we went I was only a baby, but I remember Kagome telling me this story just after mom died. Anyway, there was a family from Osaka who were also staying in the same temple we did. It was a monk, along with his wife and son who was about the same age as she. Kagome said that she met the boy later that evening after meditations and they played together. He told her that he was training to be a monk like his father and that his family shrine was in Osaka."

While Naraku remained silent, Sesshoumaru turned to his youngest sibling. "What about it? What's that got do with anything?" he asked, his voice coming out more harshly than he meant to.

Unfazed, Souta shrugged and replied, "I believe she went back to Osaka and met up with him. I remember her telling me that while they were playing, they seemed like they belonged together. She didn't know exactly how to describe it, but when they were together, she said she felt such a great sense of peace being around him. I don't know. Maybe I'm completely wrong, but I feel that is what happened. Look, all I know is that Kagome's world has been turned upside and now, all she wants is peace and if what she said about him is true, then he's the only person who can give it to her."

Naraku cleared his throat. "Hmm, that's very interesting, Souta-kun. Mount Koya, you say?" remarked Naraku amiably. "Great! I'll check it out personally tomorrow."

"What?! Why not now? Do it now!"

"Oh, Sess, you silly boy. Can't you tell time? It's very late and besides, Kagome won't be going anywhere so late at night. She's a careful girl, remember? I'll head out first thing in the morning. Have good night, Sesshoumaru and thank you, Souta."

When Naraku had disconnected, Souta got to his feet, but Sesshoumaru grabbed hold of his hand. "Who was he? That boy you spoke of?"

Souta shrugged. "I don't know, Sesshoumaru. But I probably would know it was him if he stood side by side with her."

"Why is that?"

The young man's brown eyes softened and he gazed absently out into space. "I don't know, really." He blinked and smiled down at his step-brother. "But you should have seen Kagome when she talked about him. Her entire being glowed with this wonderful, rosy pink light. It was dazzling."

'Oh great,' thought Sesshoumaru peevishly, as Souta exited the room with Jaken scurrying behind him. Yet another man to keep away from Kagome. Damn, why wouldn't they just leave his woman alone?

ooo

Early Sunday morning, after yet another sleepless night and deciding to join Naraku, Sesshoumaru dragged Souta from his bed and they headed down to Osaka. When they were on the road, he called Naraku and told him to meet Souta and himself at the base of Mount Koya. Naraku agreed.

Sesshoumaru and Souta met up with Naraku near Mount Koya. Naraku was a tall, dark-haired man with laughing dark eyes. As soon as the other two males approached him, he greeted them a grin and a wave.

"Yo, Sesshoumaru! Long time no see!" He turned his cheerful gaze on the teenager beside the frowning silver-haired man. "Wow, this must be Souta. Damn, kiddo, you've certainly grown up, haven't you?" With a hearty laugh, he reached out a hand and ruffled Souta's hair, while Souta glowered sleepily at him.

After a moment of serious chatter, the two older men looked at Souta expectantly. When Souta asked why they were staring at him, Naraku asked if he could lead the way, since neither he nor Sesshoumaru had ever been here before. With a glare, Souta reminded them that he'd only been an infant at the time and then coldly informed them that since Sesshoumaru had neglected to allow him to eat breakfast, there was no way in hell he'd assist them any damn way until he got something to eat.

After getting the cross teenage boy something to eat, they took a ride up to the mountain in the cable car. A few minutes after they arrived, Naraku went up to a couple of monks who were out taking a walk and asked them a few questions. One of them nodded and pointed towards a nearby path.

It was a foggy day and the mist seemed almost to cling to them as they continued to climb upwards. The dark, wet trunks of the trees seemed almost to close in around them but they gave off a heady, woodsy scent, adding to the allure of the dream-like, mist-shrouded forest.

"Man, if this fog gets any thicker..." grumbled Naraku, looking around. "Its like... some kind of miasma. Wouldn't be surprised if this shit starts eating away at my flesh with all the air pollution we got here."

"Cease your complaining, Naraku," Sesshoumaru muttered, annoyed.

As they neared the temple Souta had told them of, they saw, coming towards them through the mist, two figures. The figures were oddly shaped, but soon the three visitors realized that it was two people dressed in the bulkiness of robes and hakamas.

The pair moved slowly, faltered, then stopped altogether. Sesshoumaru could just see that the figures were that of a man and a woman, holding hands.

Then the figures moved again and soon they appeared out of the light, swirling fog. The other three were stricken for a moment, for it seemed that they had stepped back in time, back to the Sengoku Jidai. A houshi and a miko stood before them, dressed in traditional clothing and staring at them as though they were intruding upon holy ground.

"Please, put away your weapon," said the miko, hand raised. "There is no need for such a thing here."

Souta and Sesshoumaru frowned, then turned to look at Naraku, whose face was flushed a bright red. Quickly, he slipped his gun back into its holster just under his arm. "What?" he asked defensively, looking askance at his two companions. "I always come prepared."

Looking back, Sesshoumaru squinted. The fog had thickened a bit just now and the girl's face was unclear, but he knew it was she. The moment he heard her speak, all tenseness left his body. "Kagome? Are you alright?"

The miko turned to smile at him. "I've never felt better, Sesshoumaru," she said. Turning to the young man in the monk's robes, she said, "Miroku, I believe you've met my guardian before."

The houshi came forward and bowed. "Sesshoumaru-sama. I trust you are doing well?"

Sesshoumaru could not help but notice that Miroku kept a grasp on Kagome's hand. "I'm doing better now," he said carefully, wanting to punch the monk in the face for committing the grave sin of holding her hand so familiarly.

"Kagome, I knew you were here," Souta said, going to his sister and hugging her. "Hey Miroku. Glad to encounter you again... here in this place."

Miroku started and stared at Kagome's little brother. "Hmm? What are you talking about? Oh my... wait a second." His brow furrowed as he went deep in thought. A moment later, his face cleared and his dark blue eyes widened with surprise. "Those two children... the little girl and the baby... were you two! I remember now! Kagome, do you remember? We played together here a long time ago."

Kagome tipped her head back and stared up at the gray skies. "Mmm, barely. Was that really you?" She looked back at him and smiled. "I should have guessed by now. Silly me."

Souta had been right, Sesshoumaru thought with growing irritation. Kagome, standing next to the young man he'd seen only a few times before now, certainly had an inner light as she stared up at him. "Kagome," he said, deliberately interrupting the tender little moment the two were having. "Its time to come home."

She turned to him and released Miroku's hand. "Yes, its time to go home. Miroku and I were on our way back to Osaka right now." Going over to Sesshoumaru, she held out her hand to him. He took it happily and she turned to the others. "Could the three of you go on ahead please? There is something I must tell Sesshoumaru."

Miroku nodded and walked away, with Souta and Naraku on his heels. Sesshoumaru turned to her, his heart pounding. He tugged her to him and held her close. "I was so worried about you, darling," he whispered, his voice shaking. "Why did you leave so suddenly? I thought something terrible had happened to you."

"Sumimasen," she said, returning his embrace. "But... I needed time to myself. I needed to think things through."

"But why? Why didn't you tell me? I thought... I believed that you trusted in me," he told her in a pained voice as his hands reached up to cradle her face. "I know I tend to smother you, Kagome, but if you had told me that it was very important to you to make such a journey--"

Reaching up to caress his cheek, she shook her head. "You would have refused to let me go, Sesshoumaru. We both know that." Her dark eyes studied him for a moment. "I wish to return to my family's shrine."

"Kagome--"

Her fingers pressed lightly against his lips. "I must return, Sesshoumaru. It's something that I know I have to do."

He kissed her fingers before she had a chance to remove them. "Then, if that is what you feel you must do, I won't object. Does this mean you'll move back to the shrine?"

"Oh, no! I don't wish to give up the house that you so generously gave me. I just wanted you to know that I'll be busy helping my grandfather everyday. It'll give me something to do since Hiro is spending more and more time away from me. You know, he and Connie-chan will be married by the end of the year," she said with a pleased giggle.

Sesshoumaru smiled at her, all the while pushing back the urge to inform her that he had given Hiro the boot. She wouldn't like it, of course; hell, she might hate him for doing it, but it was for the best. All he ever wanted to do was make sure she was alright and if getting rid of what was rapidly becoming dead weight, (i.e., Hiro) then good. One less man in his beloved's life, the better.

She graced him with a heartfelt smile and began to turn away, but his hands kept their hold on her face. He knew he had to come clean with her before something else happened. One of the things that made him so miserable while she was gone was knowing that he had never told her just how much she meant to him. Perhaps once she knew how he truly felt, she'd give up the idea of going back to her grandfather and move back in with him... as his wife.

"There is something I have to tell you, before I completely lose my nerve this time--" He leaned down, his eyes boring into hers, but once again his voice failed him. Dropping his hands, he turned his head away, smooth cheeks stained a dark pink. "Damn it," he cursed himself under his breath.

Her eyes widened in anticipation, then disbelief. Before he'd spoken a word, she had known what he wished to tell her and even though he couldn't say what he truly wanted to, she was touched by his shyness. By nature, Sesshoumaru was not a shy man and being shy for a man with his status would not have made him the successful businessman he was today.

"I know, you already told me," she told him with a sad smile. When he jerked his gaze back to her, surprise splashed all over his beautiful face, she went on. "I heard you whisper it in my ear the last time we were together," she admitted, feeling her face grow warm. "I'm afraid I wasn't asleep."

"Oh, I see." Again, he turned his flushed face away. One of his hands reached for hers and gently interlaced their fingers together. "I know you don't feel the same about me, Kagome and I accept that. It's just that... I wanted you to know that I _am_ interested in you that way and that if there was even a only a ghost of a chance of spending the rest of my life with you, I'd gladly take that chance. I want to be more than your guardian, Kagome. I want to be your husband."

_Her husband?!_ This revelation rattled Kagome down to her very soul. Sure, she knew about his feelings and she appreciated them. He was a kind, loving man and she adored him, and in some respects worshipped him even, but to picture him as her husband... That was not so easily done. Then again, she couldn't see anyone as her husband.

But as she stared up into his eyes... those heartbreakingly beautiful golden eyes, a part of her wondered what it would be like to be Sesshoumaru's wife. Her social status, should she wed him, would vault her to the top of Tokyo's elite society. As Morikawa Sesshoumaru's wife, she would be expected to look and act a certain way. Would she be able to handle it? The very thought frightened her.

She said nothing, and he gathered her to him again and kissed her; but it was not like the soft, chaste kisses he normally bestowed upon her. This time, his kisses was hard, demanding, and passionate; so much so that it left her clinging helplessly to his shoulders. Nearly everything he felt for her, he showed her through that kiss. He'd gladly have shown her just _how_ much he loved her, but he couldn't take from her what she wasn't offering.

Sesshoumaru inhaled the scent of her skin and his knees nearly buckled. She smelt of springtime, rain and incense and all he could do was crush her to him. He straightened, taking her with him, until her little feet dangled freely in the air above the forest floor.

Releasing her lips, he buried his face against the warmth of her neck, feeling her heart and breathing quicken. She stared straight into his eyes when he moved his head back and his gaze roamed all over her face. "Do I, Kagome? Do I have at least, an ounce of a chance with you? Would you give me the opportunity to show you how much I want to be everything you need?"

"Sesshoumaru..." Her eyes were filled with uncertainty. "I don't know. I never imagined that you would feel this way about me." Her hand slid into his hair and she cradled the back of his skull. His chest heaved against her; his magnificent eyes closed at the slight contact and she smiled, brushing the tip of her nose against his. His eyes flew open.

"You already know I love you Sesshoumaru, but if you wish to pursue a relationship of that nature with me, then you must be patient. I've not yet gotten used to thinking of you in such a way. Even though its been several days since I found out about your feelings, it is still very new to me."

The look of hope in his eyes touched her and she leaned over to give him a light kiss on the cheek. "Now then, please put me down. The others are waiting for us."

After setting her on her feet, Kagome took his hand and pulled him along behind her. Sesshoumaru watched her back as he allowed her to lead him. Normally, he hated playing the part of the follower. He was used to being in charge, taking control. But when it came to this girl, he was more than content to let her command him. He was putty in her hands; he always had been.

She shot him a look over her shoulder and smiled sweetly at him as they went together down the path to join the others.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

On Saturday night, Yuki was consoling a very inebriated and depressed Hiro in his living room while Akira sat back and watched the proceedings. From what the two sober men could make out, Sesshoumaru had given him a good job and rent-free flat in exchange for moving out of Kagome's house and possibly out of her life. All the drama made Yuki crave a cigarette, which he hadn't had in almost two months, but Kaede had destroyed all of his spare packs right before his eyes and thrown them away. _Miserable old crone..._

Thankfully, when Hiro arrived already buzzing pretty hard, he'd not only brought two bottles of tequila with him, (one of which he'd opened on the way up in the elevator) but also a carton of Yuki's favorite brand of cigarettes, fully intending to smoke every last one. But he ended up taking out one pack and immediately forgot he'd bought the others. While Hiro was busy talking about being cast out by Sesshoumaru, Yuki managed to snag the remaining carton and stick it in his wall safe, the one place as yet untouched by the demon nurse from hell.

"But I _love_ Kagome!" the drunk cried, sobbing bitterly into his bottle of tequila. "Jusht cuz I'm shpending time with my girlfriend, doeshn't mean I don't care!" He jabbed an unsteady finger at his chest and poked himself a few times.

"Of course not, Hiroshi. You love her very much, don't you?" Yuki asked, running his fingers through his brother's curly brown hair. He was staring at the bottles of liquor sitting just beyond his reach on the glass-topped coffee table, but he couldn't have one single drop. Akira would kill him for mixing pain medication and alcohol... and also because Akira was sitting across the table on the opposite sofa just within hand-smacking reach. _Damn it all._ When his gaze slid up from the bottles to Akira's face, he saw his cousin's eyes narrow into slits, silently daring him to reach out and try to grab a bottle.

_"Yesh!" _ Hiro sobbed even harder. "I love her shooo mush!" He wiped at his eyes with shaky hands.

"Look, don't worry about it so much," Akira added softly, downing his glass of whiskey. "It wasn't your fault that you couldn't be there all the time. You have a life to live too, you know."

Raising wretched brown eyes to his cousin, Hiro nodded. "I know, Akira. But to think that I was accushed of not caring..." He hiccuped and took another swig of his tequila, fresh tears cascading down his face. "I cared... more than anyone elshe... 'cept _him_. Do you know that the white-haired bastard is in love with her? Oh yeah, you've met him before, 'member? It was pretty damn clear he loved her, right? But a guy like him... he don't like anyone, 'cept for Kagome. She's all he ever thinksh about."

Upon hearing Hiro's words, Yuki's body tensed, going rigidly straight and Akira saw it. He wanted to kick Hiro hard in the shin for opening his big, intoxicated mouth. He also knew that Yuki saw this as the perfect opportunity to pry his brother for more information.

"_Who_ is in love with Kagome, Hiro?" asked Yuki carefully, eyes slitting, making him look rather snake-like.

Akira got hurriedly to his feet. "You know, Yuki, I really should take Hiro home. He's not in very good shape right now--"

Hiro's head bobbed and he stared tearfully up at his cousin. "Home? What home? I have no home!" he bawled, turning to his brother and clinging to him. "Yuki... Yuki... I wanna shtay with you. Pleeeze let me shtay!"

Yuki held his brother and rocked him, laying his head down on his lap and letting his fingers run through the silken brown curls. Two identical pairs of green eyes stared daggers at each other. "Of course, Hiro, you can stay. You're my baby brother. Stay as long as you want." His eyes narrowed at Akira, who glared back at him.

When Yuki turned his attention back to Hiro, that one was fast asleep, one hand curled beneath the flushed cheek lying atop Yuki's thigh. Akira saw this and heaved a great relief-filled sigh, sinking back down to the sofa.

"Thank kami," he breathed, pouring himself another drink.

"What do you mean, thank kami? I have a right to know who's going after my future wife." He eyed his cousin suspiciously. "Just what do you know, Akira?"

"I don't know a damn thing." Taking one of the cigarettes out of Hiro's open pack, he lit up and took a deep drag. "But you're jumping the gun there, aren't you? I mean, after all she hasn't said yes to you."

"She promised to think about it," Yuki retorted. He looked down at his brother's head, still running his fingers through the soft brown hair. "She promised me and I believe her."

"What if the answer she gives you isn't the one you want?"

A hard green gaze slid up to meet Akira. "Then I'll keep asking her until I get the answer I'm looking for."

Akira studied the golden one silently for a moment. "I don't think that's how it works, Yuki," he said, taking a sip of his drink. "Besides, when it comes to Kagome, the _last_ thing you want to come across to her as, is pushy."

"Pushy? Who's pushy? I'm persistent, for your information."

"No, you're pushy. Pushy, bossy, overbearing, needy--"

"Shut your face, Akira."

"-- whiny, childish, demanding--"

Scowling, Yuki lifted his cane in the air in order to chunk it at Akira, but thought better of it. He'd paid a pretty penny for this cane. The handle was made out of gold and mother-of-pearl, while the body was made of sturdy wood, covered with black laquer. He had his name carved in gilt letters into the laquer. All in all, it was a beautiful piece of workmanship, even though it had been a rush job.

"-- insensitive, selfish, and overtly sexual. Basically, you're one big, slutty pain in the ass."

"Agh! Shut up, damn it!" Before he decided to throw it at his annoying relative anyway, he lay it down on the sofa cushions and moved his hands away to grab the cigarettes from the coffee table. He was careful not to wake Hiro, who thankfully appeared to be out like a light. "I am none of those things," Yuki remarked, petulantly. "Except maybe for needy. You're right about that one. I _need_ Kagome." He lit up with a sigh. "I hope she's okay. I haven't seen her in so long. Damn, I miss her."

Akira wondered if Yuki knew about Kagome's disappearance. From the way Yuki was sitting there, peacefully smoking a cigarette, he realized that his cousin most likely had no idea she'd left. Hiro knew, of course, but was wise enough to keep the knowledge to himself. If Yuki knew she'd been missing since the day he last laid eyes on her, he'd be furious. But perhaps, everyone was better off with Yuki being left in blissful ignorance. Especially Kagome.

Unless of course, Yuki had something to do with her being missing. Akira wouldn't put it past Yuki when there was something he wanted.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Late on Sunday afternoon, Kagome made it home on the motorcycle, with Sesshoumaru driving right behind her. They dropped Souta off at home first since he was cranky and wanted a nap, as well as a decent meal. As for Miroku, he went straight to Sango's apartment to tell her everything, as well as propose to her. Kagome wished him happiness and sighed heavily when he drove away.

Inside her home, Kouga, Ginta, Hakkaku and a pale, sickly looking Hiro were waiting impatiently for her.

Kagome tried to apologize to Hiro for taking his motorcycle, but he only hugged her and told her that it was fine. He didn't care, just as long as she was okay.

From behind her, Kouga wrapped his arms about her and tugged her back against him. "I was so worried about you," he told her, his lips brushing softly against one cheek. She turned in his arms and hugged him. His grip on her tightened...

Over Kouga's shoulder, her eyes met Sesshoumaru's gaze and she very nearly flinched at the expression he wore. Now that she knew how he felt about her, she realized that all those times he had seen her with Kouga and allowed him to kiss her, it wasn't _just_ his overprotectiveness as her guardian that made his eyes burn like _that_; so full of blind rage. Sesshoumaru had been filled with jealousy at the sight of another man kissing and touching the woman he loved; the woman who, in his own mind, he had already claimed as his own.

But Kagome _wanted_ Kouga to hold her in his warm, secure embrace... so she sent her beloved guardian a reassuring smile. When it reached him, Sesshoumaru's body instantly began to relax and he returned her smile.

When Kouga let her go, she was instantly snapped up by Ginta and Hakkaku, who pulled her into a sandwich hug, squishing her between them like a lone piece of bologne between two tall pieces of bread. "We missed you, Kagome-neesan!" cried the brothers in unison.

"I missed you, too," came Kagome's muffled reply. She struggled against them and managed to push her face away from Hakkaku's chest. Looking up, she noticed that he didn't have his mohawk up. "Hakkaku! What happened to your hair?" She reached up and touched his hair, which was pulled down to a low ponytail at the nape of neck.

"Um, well..." Hakkaku muttered, his face turning red. "You see, Kagome-neesan--"

Ginta broke in. "He was so worried about you that he stopped doing his hair." He leaned down and whispered in her hair, "He even cried for you at night."

Hakkaku's handsome face tightened with anger. "Shut your hole, Ginta!" he cried as his entire head went scarlet.

"Oh, Hakkaku," Kagome breathed, reaching up to cup her hands on his each of burning cheeks and pulled his head down to hers, gently kissing his cheeks. "I'm sorry. I never meant to make you worry about me. Really."

His dark eyes searched her face for a moment. "It's fine. When I heard you took off on Hiro's bike, it scared me. It's just that... I know what it's like to lose someone I love in an accident. Didn't want to go through that again." He looked away, but suddenly pulled her to him. "I'm glad you're okay."

Kagome felt his big body shaking and guilt seared through her. How could she have been so selfish as to just drive away, leaving the people she cared about in the dark about where she was or if she was okay? Her arms wrapped around his waist and she squeezed him tightly. "I don't know what to say except that I humbly apologize. To everyone. I never meant to upset anyone. I honestly didn't think I would be missed." She gave a small, mirthless laugh. "I guess I was wrong."

"Completely wrong." Ginta's voice was soft in her ear. He kissed the top of her head. "You shoulda seen Kouga after Hiro told us. He thought you were abducted by Yuki and nearly lost his mind."

"Why would Yuki abduct me?" Kagome asked curiously, casting a quizzical look at Kouga, who was watching her intently.

"You know how he feels about you, right?" Ginta asked, absently rubbing his hand all over Kagome's back. "Yuki's crazy about you and Kouga can't stand it. He nearly attacked Hiro for not watching over you properly."

Kouga's body stiffened. "So? He shoulda been watching over her instead of traipsing off after that chick! If he'd been doing his job, none of this would have happened!"

Hiro bowed his head and looked away while Sesshoumaru cast an angry glance at him. He felt like shouting, _'You see? Its not just me who thinks you were slacking in your duties!'_

"Yeah, well, _you_ shouldn't have attacked Hiro in the first place, Kouga. It wasn't his fault that none of us trust Yuki an inch and its not his fault that Yuki is a jerk," Ginta told him, still rubbing Kagome's back. "But seriously, man, you gotta chill out more."

Kouga gave Ginta an unpleasant smile. "Oh, please. You weren't any better, Ginta. You were just as upset as me and him." He jerked a thumb at Hakkaku. "And you can stop rubbing my woman like that."

"Oh." Ginta ceased rubbing and removed his hand. "Sorry about that, Kagome-neesan. Didn't realize what I was doing," he told her apologetically.

Kagome turned from Hakkaku and smiled up at the elder Kawase brother. "No, its fine. It felt really good. You're very good with your hands, Ginta-kun."

It was Ginta's turn to blush. "Um... thanks, Kagome-neesan. If you ever want a massage, just ask." He bowed his head, causing his white-striped lock to fall forward into his face.

"I shall. Now, if you will all excuse me..." She turned to Sesshoumaru, who was eyeing every male in the room, save Hiro, with the utmost suspicion. "Come Sesshoumaru, you must rest now. I know you've been unable to sleep, so come with me. Let me take care of you."

Sesshoumaru's eyes went to her face and the dark look in his eyes vanished. Her soft brown eyes twinkled with warmth that was meant only for him and in the space of a heartbeat, the stress of the past week disappeared and his body sagged wearily. Several days of having no sleep had, at last, slammed into him and he nearly panted with exhaustion.

Kagome saw him stagger slightly and rushed over to him, grabbing him around the waist and slung one of his heavy arms over her shoulder. He leaned against her and together the ascended the stairs. When she had shut her door behind them, she went to the windows and drew the heavy, dark curtains, effectively blocking out the sun then assisted him with undressing himself. Clad only in his boxers, she got him to lay down before going to her closet to undress herself and change her clothes.

"Are you going to sleep with me?" came his distressed voice from her bed.

Smiling into darkness, she replied, "Yes, I'll be right there. I just need to change my clothes and put my dirty clothes into the hamper."

She heard a soft sound behind her. Movement to her left caused her to start and she whirled around to face Sesshoumaru. He loomed in the doorway of her closet, the outline of his body just barely illuminated by the little amount of light that shone through the curtains, and watched her intently. For a moment, Kagome let her gaze slide down to his slim body with its pale, sculpted chest and abs that she could see even without the aid of the light. Until now, she'd never noticed that his body was so well-built or so... very... sexy...

Her face aflame, Kagome quicky turned her back on him, very much aware of her rapidly beating heart. "I'll... be right there. Let me... um..." Her hands fumbled about in the dark and she wondered just what she was supposed to be looking for.

The light in the closet came on overhead and his large hand took hers, bringing the jerky movements to a halt. "Are you okay? You don't need to do this right now, beloved. Save it for later." His voice deepened and to Kagome, it sounded like the warm, smoothing vibrations of a soulfully playing cello. "Come to bed now."

"L-let me change first," she whimpered, feeling him move behind her, his body heat invading her personal space.

"What you have on is fine," he said and Kagome remembered that she was only in her underwear.

She began to panic and quickly snatched a shirt from a nearby hanger. "I... I can't! Not in this!" she cried softly, but he took the shirt from her and turned her around to face him.

His eyes burned through her and she could see him frown, puzzled. "But you've never had a problem with this before," he told her, his long fingers brushing softly against her bare shoulders.

It was all she could do _not_ to back away from him. "I... was not aware of your true feelings before," she said weakly. "Let me put on this shirt and a pair of sleep pants, okay?" As she turned from him to locate a pair of pajama bottoms, she felt his hand grasp hers and pull her from the closet.

"No, Kagome," he said firmly, steering her to the bed. "I need you just the way you are." He lay down on his side and opened his arms to her. Like always, she went to him obediantly and lay down in front of him with her back to him.

While Kagome was getting comfortable in the circle of his arms, her bottom rubbed up against him and there was a sharp intake of breath from him. "Are you okay?" she asked, her heart pounding. She didn't need to ask what her backside had brushed up against; it was still there.

When she tried to move away, his hand grabbed her hip firmly and held her in place. Through the lightweight garments, she could feel the rigid, pulsating heat pressing against her flesh.

"Don't move about so," he groaned softly, pressing his face against the back of her head. "Forgive me, little one."

"O-okay," she whispered, shutting her eyes and willing herself not to move a muscle. After a few minutes, she found her voice. "Has this ever happened before? You know, when we lay together like this?"

He was silent for a moment, his lips pressing themselves in her hair. "Yes, several times."

"I see." She was quiet again. "But you never tried anything, Sesshoumaru. Thank you for being so considerate of me."

"I'd never do anything to cause you to push me away, Kagome. I could never forgive myself if I did that, knowing that I forced you to give me what I have no right to take. I couldn't bear it if you hated me."

Kagome turned in her protector's arms and lay facing him. "I would forgive you, Sesshoumaru." She touched his face lovingly. "But you wouldn't do that to me. I know it. I trust you implicitly."

He stared at her, the outline of her face just visible. Without a word, he leaned over and kissed her. At first she was startled by the sudden contact, but he was persistent and soon she relaxed against him. His tongue lapped at her lips and he was soon rewarded for his efforts when she parted her lips for him. Sesshoumaru couldn't hold back a blissful sigh. She tasted so warm, so sweet and he could feel all the blood in his body go straight to his groin.

But what really spiked his temperature was the fact that she was kissing him back. He moaned into her mouth and rolled her over until he was on top of her, his weight resting on his forearms. Breaking the kiss, he stared down at her. Her eyes were half-closed, her lips were slightly parted and her breathing was quick and uneven.

"You are so beautiful," he murmured, claiming her lips again. Her small hands slid up his naked back and gripped at him, sending shivers of excitement coursing through him. He felt himself harden again and unconsciously, he rubbed himself against her.

Feeling _that_ part of his amazing anatomy moving against her, Kagome froze, her eyes widening in the dark. What was he about to do? He just said that he wouldn't do anything to her...

It took Sesshoumaru awhile to realize that Kagome was trembling. He pulled back and suddenly realized what he was doing and that she was terrified. Quickly, he scrambled off of her and the bed. "Kagome, I... oh, god. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean..." Without another word, he hurried off to her bathroom and shut the door behind him.

Hearing the shower turn on, Kagome began to cry. She was confused about what just happened. Did she just make him angry? Yes, he must be furious with her.

Curling into a ball, she pulled her covers up to her chin and wept silently into her pillow, listening to the water in her shower run continuously. Eventually, she began to drift off to sleep, sniffling slightly. The next thing she knew was a vague feeling of her mattress shifting behind her and the insertion of a large body between her sheets.

"Kagome? Sweetie, are you awake?" His arms slipped around her, but paused when she flinched. "Baby, I apologize. I didn't mean to do that to you. I just... I couldn't help it. You've enslaved me, Kagome. All I could think about was making love to you. If you want me on my knees to beg your forgiveness, I'll do whatever it takes to--"

"No. An important man like you should never be on his knees to please anybody."

Sesshoumaru pulled her into his arms anyway. In a way, he hoped she would slap him. He certainly deserved it. "Unless it's you, Kagome. Only if it's you. I'd do anything you asked of me."

She flipped over on her other side to face him. "You don't need to beg for forgiveness, Sesshoumaru. I already forgave you." Her hand reached out to caress his face. "I was scared that I made you mad at me. I've never really pushed you away before, have I?"

He shook his head. "No, not like that you haven't. But I deserved to be in this case." Sighing, he tucked her against his body, savoring the sensation of her breath against his chest. "I hope I haven't lost my chance to be with you."

"Right now, its anybody's game," she whispered, feeling sleep taking hold again.

Smiling into her hair, Sesshoumaru sighed contentedly and allowed himself to follow her into the land of dreams.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A/N: Hey guys! I very nearly got carried away with the Sesshy/Kags bit just now. . I've been reading some Sess/Kag fics on and I couldn't help myself. I'm even thinking of doing another Mir/Kag fic. Agh! I love Miroku! XD

Oh, about Sesshy's little shower... I leave that up to your imaginations. -.-


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Chapter 18

Yuki heard from Kagome the very next day. Hearing the sound of her voice after so long made him very happy. "I was worried about you," he gently admonished her, leaning back in his chair while watching television in his living room. "I called you several times but you never answered."

"I know and I'm sorry about that," she said in that sweet little voice of hers. "I was... out of town."

Yuki frowned, his eyes shifting from the t.v. screen to a spot on the wall above his entertainment system. "Out of town? I was unaware of that." He would have to wait until Hiro came home today to ask him to explain _why_ he was never told her having left town. _What the fuck was going on for everyone to keep secrets from him?_

"Oh." Her voice sounded uncertain. "Well, I thought Hiro would have told you. I was gone for over a week."

Hiro was going to get an earful when he saw him again. "Where did you go?" Yuki tried to remain calm, to keep his body from tensing up, but was unable to do so. His right leg began its pains again. He'd have to take his pain killers again.

"Well, at first I went to Shizuoka, then Atami, and then I decided to go to Osaka. When I was there, I--"

"Why?" he asked, his voice a little rougher than he meant it to be. He got to his feet, grabbed his cane that lay by his side and began limping agitatedly towards the balcony.

"Why, what?"

"Why did you go to those places? Were you visiting family? Friends?" Yuki was trying to keep from thinking that Kagome was seeing somebody else, but he was failing. _Was_ she seeing another man? Just the fact that she went to Atami bothered him. Who would go to Atami by themselves, seeing as how that city was popular amongst honeymooning couples and lovers? Had she met up with someone there?

Kagome was silent for a moment and Yuki's suspicion grew. He knew instinctively that she wouldn't come clean about her trip, although he didn't know why. So he waited for her response. "Well?"

"I met up with a friend in Atami," she said softly, "and we traveled to Osaka together. The shrines there are very lovely this time of year."

He slid lids down to cover his burning green eyes. So she _had_ met with someone! She was lying to him about the person being a friend, he just knew it. "I see." His voice was calm, much calmer than he actually felt. "Come see me," he told her suddenly, opening his eyes again to stare out over Tokyo. "Please. I missed you a great deal. I'll order in, if you're hungry. What do you say?"

"Gosh, Yuki, I don't know. I have a lot to do today."

Her hesitation made him angry. "I think it's the least you could do after making me worry so," he said softly, despite the jealousy that raged inside him. "I want very badly to see you, Kagome. I _need_ to see you. Please don't turn me down."

There was another moment of silence that followed, but she finally acquiesced. "Alright Yuki, I'll go visit you."

"Great. I'll expect you in an hour."

After hanging up, he resisted the urge to throw the phone across the room. Something was up and no one was telling him a damn thing! But at least he got her to come over. He'd left her no room for argument by playing on her guilty conscience, knowing that she wouldn't have the nerve to worm her way out of coming to see him.

He turned and made his slow way to his room to get ready.

Before she finally arrived, he had been pacing anxiously in his living room, desperately hoping that she wouldn't stand him up. He knew she wouldn't do something like that, but all the same...

As he reached for his phone to call her to find out where she was and why she was taking so long, the doorbell rang.

His fair head came up, his heart thumping like mad in his chest. Ignoring his aching leg, he limped eagerly over to the door. "You made it!" he cried happily, as he stepped back to let Kagome in. Relief flooded him when he laid eyes on her for the first time in over a week.

She looked more beautiful than ever, he thought as she moved past him to the dining room table to set her purse down. Her normally pale skin now had a golden tint to it and her slim body seemed to have filled out somewhat.

When he'd shut the door behind her, he walked up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist "You look amazing," he whispered into her ear. His lips moved to brush across her cheek. "Have I told you I missed you, Kagome?"

Leaning back against him, her breathing quickened. "Yes, Yuki, you have."

His arms tightened and he half-crushed her to him. "Then I'll tell you again anyway." Turning her around to face him, he let his arms slip around her. "I missed you," he breathed, his lips moving down to mesh with hers.

"Yuki, please," she begged, trying to push him away. "I can't do this right now."

Yuki's body stilled. "What? Why?"

"I just can't, I'm sorry."

Instead of letting her go, his grip on her tightened again. "Kiss me, Kagome. I want a kiss from you. You disappeared and I never even knew where you were. I think I deserve a kiss, don't you?" Kagome was watching him intently and he could see her begin to weaken. He knew that he was going to get his kiss.

"May I? May I kiss you?" he asked her, pushing her towards his sofa. She followed his lead willingly, her eyes never leaving his. He could feel her defenses fall completely and without hesitation, he went in for the kill. As she lay back against the cushions, he hovered over her and one of his hands went to her face to caress one sun-kissed cheek.

There was a soft whimper from her as his lips claimed hers. Her arms lay still for a moment on her lap, but she lifted them to wind themselves around his neck. When he raised his fair head, he looked down at her. Kagome's lovely eyes were closed and her pretty pink lips were slightly parted; her chest heaved as though she had just run a marathon.

Yuki smiled and took her lips again eagerly. Whoever the man was that was after her, the bastard was out of luck. Like _hell_ Yuki would allow anyone else to have her.

She responded passionately to every touch he bestowed on her, but when he lay her down on the sofa and climbed on top of her, the spell was broken by a cry of "Oh! Your leg!"

Kagome sat up straight and pressed him back into a sitting position, propping his leg up on the coffee table. "Does it hurt? Want me to get you anything?"

Yuki groaned inwardly. This was not what he had planned and he cursed himself for not remembering to take her personality into account. She would always think of his comfort first before her own.

"No, I'm fine," he tried to tell her, as she tried to move away from him. Snagging hold of her wrist, he gave her arm a gentle yank, pulling her down and onto his lap. "Where did you think you were going?" he asked as he began to nuzzle her neck.

"Um, nowhere, I guess."

"That's right. Nowhere." His lips nibbled on her earlobe. "I want you to stay here with me."

"Yuki? Are you sure you're fine? Your knee looks a little swollen."

"I'm fine," he repeated, allowing his lips to travel slowly across her cheek to the corner of her mouth. At that moment, her cell phone rang. Her body froze, then she jumped up so quickly that Yuki didn't have time to grab hold of her again. He struggled to his feet as she snatched the phone from her purse.

"Moshi-moshi? Oh, hi!" She turned her back on Yuki.

His eyes narrowed. He'd heard that ring before, when he was in the hospital. Come to think of it, she'd reacted to it the exact same way the first time, too.

"No, I'm kind of busy at the moment, but as soon as I'm free I'll call you back. Oh, I see." Kagome listened for a moment, then shot a nervous glance at Yuki over her shoulder before heading to the balcony. Stepping over the threshhold, she slid the door shut behind her.

Red flags waved wildly in Yuki's mind and felt the need to barge out there, snatch the phone from her and demand from the person on the other end why they dared to call _his_ woman. Just who _was_ this person, anyway? And why had she looked at him that way, as though she had something to hide?

He watched her through the glass doors, her back still to him... and Yuki knew the undeniable truth.

She _was_ seeing someone else.

Rage filled his entire being, but he left her to talk on the balcony, knowing he couldn't trust himself to _not_ grab her phone and fling it as far as he could off of his balcony... after telling that guy off, of course. Instead, he stalked back to his sofa, where he sank slowly down upon it. His eyes stared straight ahead, his vision darkening, his mind in a whirl.

Someone under him had just fucked themselves royally. He'd had her watched continuously to ensure that no one was intruding onto his territory. Anyone who associated with her was scrutinized and investigated... or at least they _should_ have been. How Miroku managed to let someone fall through the cracks, kami only knew, for the man was a veritable shark when it came to his job. Only the Morikawa brothers, Souta and Hiro were exempt from the investigation. Yuki knew that Hiro was crazy about his girlfriend and wouldn't pursue Kagome; and of course Souta was overlooked for obvious reasons.

Yuki knew that Inuyasha cared her greatly for Kagome, but he was gone; had been gone for several months now and by all accounts, still remained in Kagoshima. Sesshoumaru, however, was still here in Tokyo, but Yuki had known long ago that it would be foolhardy to try to have _him_ investigated. If he had he done so, his life would have been made unbearable. _No one_ fucked with Sesshoumaru.

The balcony door slid open and he immediately turned his head in time to see Kagome step through. She shut the door behind her and went to replace the phone in her purse.

"Who was _that_?" he asked, not bothering to keep the irritation from his voice.

She started violently and whirled around. "Yuki! You scared me!"

He got slowly to his feet and began to advance upon her. "Tell me, Kagome. _Who_ was that?"

Kagome shook her head as he came near her. "It was... no one. Just a friend of mine, that's all."

"I see." Yuki reached her and managed to pin her against his dining room table with his body. He used his arms to block her escape. "What's the name of this friend then?"

"Yuki, I--"

His eyes slitted, allowing her to catch a glimpse of his wrathful gaze. "Is it your boyfriend, Kagome? Well, is it? Give me his name, so that I may meet him and tell him to back off." He pressed his body against hers, causing her to wince as the table edge cut across her lower back. But when he saw the tears spring to her eyes and the look of pain cross her face, he let up a little. "I'm sorry, Kagome. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just want to know who's trying to steal you from me. So next time he calls, tell him that I won't let you go. " He dipped his head to kiss her tenderly on the mouth. "You're mine."

All Kagome could do was use the table to brace herself. Yuki had managed to shake the peacefulness of her life yet again, but in some odd way it touched and flattered her that he was so jealous. She reveled in the feeling of his lips on hers again but she knew she shouldn't be doing this, not after what had happened last night with Sesshoumaru.

It was very odd having three completely different men lavish such attention on her. It made her nervous and the fact that they all wished to kiss her and touch her was making her feel as though she was one of those women who juggled several men at once. As gorgeous as they were, Kagome really wanted to stick with one man and one man alone. There was no sense in getting greedy and dragging the hearts of all of them along so callously.

_But which one should she choose?_

"Have you thought about my proposal?" he asked, dropping his head down to brush his lips against the side of her throat. "You had plenty of time to think about it while you were gone."

Her hands came up to press gently against his chest, a silent request to back up slightly. She daren't push him away completely; she didn't want to risk igniting his anger. "Please don't be angry with me, Yuki, but it slipped my mind." There was a bit of a flare in his eyes and she flinched. "I'm sorry! I just... I went away for a reason, Yuki-sama. Please, forgive me. I didn't mean to upset you so."

Yuki said nothing for a whole minute, then he bent down to kiss her on the forehead. "I'm not angry at you, little one," he told her, holding her to him. "But I would like an answer soon. I want to know when I can start making preparations."

"Preparations?" Kagome was puzzled. "Preparations for what, exactly?"

He looked down at her with a dazzling, lazy smile that sent the butterflies that were nesting in her stomach in a frenzy. "That should be obvious, Kagome. Preparations for our wedding, of course."

"What?!" She tried to get away from him but he kept her pinned against the table. "No, Yuki, you're going too fast. We don't even know each other that well."

"I know you and I know that I want to spend my life with you. So what's the problem?"

This time she pushed away from him. "I need to tell you something, Yuki. I don't plan on getting married anytime soon because--"

"What?! Why not?" Moving forward, Yuki grabbed her hand and held it tightly.

She held his hand against her heart. "Because while I was... away... I had a revelation. I am going back to work for my grandfather at our family shrine."

He frowned. "Doing what? I remember that you used to live there when you were little but I don't recall you having a job to do."

"You remember me back then?" she asked, eyes widening. "I thought you didn't know anything about me, except that I was just one of Hiro's little friends."

Yuki laughed and pulled her against him. "You were, for the most part. But then again, I _was_ a snotty, rebellious teenager who turned up my nose at anything that Hiro did. It was beneath me to acknowledge him. After all, he _was_ just a little kid then. It would have been ruined my reputation if I'd hung out with you and my little brother. I couldn't bear to be so uncool." He wrinkled his nose and Kagome laughed at his comically pained expression.

"And I remember you a little," Kagome told him, wrapping her arms around his middle. "I thought you were cool in a strangely aloof way and I believed that I didn't even exist to you. You certainly never seemed to have noticed me."

"Amazingly enough, I did. I remember you were such a pretty, cherubic little thing." His eyes flashed with humor as his fingers lightly pinched her cheeks. "You reminded me of a little doll, with those big bright eyes and the most adorable pair of chubby cheeks I'd ever seen. I had a feeling you were going to be beautiful."

Kagome flushed at his words. "Yuki! Don't say that! It's not true and you know it." Her hands fluttered up to cover her face. "I was fat and ugly."

A crease appeared between his fair brows. "Wrong. You were an exquisite little angel. You _still_ are. Don't you dare say such things about yourself, Kagome. I won't have it." Taking one of her hands, he led her back to the sofa and sat down propping his leg up on the little glass table. "I'm hungry," he told her, reaching for his phone that sat on the table in front of them. "How about you?"

Keeping her reddened face averted, Kagome nodded. "Y-yes, please."

He ran his fingers through her hair, tucking her hair back behind her ear. "Is there anything in particular you would like?" he asked, loving how charmingly embarrassed she was.

She shook her head. "No. I'll have whatever you're having."

"But what if I order something you don't like?" he asked patiently, his eyes never leaving her, with his hand still touching her hair.

"Don't worry about me," she said, bowing her head. "You should get whatever you want."

"I should get whatever I want, huh?" Hiding a pleased smile, Yuki pulled her back into the circle of his arm against the sofa cushions and hooking a finger under her chin, he forced her to look at him. "You already know what I want, Kagome," he murmured, leaning over her and slanted his mouth across hers.

Yuki knew he'd never be able to get enough of her. He also knew that if she didn't agree to marry him, he'd find a way to keep her by his side. The way her little mouth tasted was driving his senses wild, causing his blood pressure to spike sharply. But to think there was a great possibility that another man was given the chance to taste her too, pissed him off like nothing else and he had to concentrate on her just to keep from becoming too upset. He did not want to share her with anyone... not even her family. _Especially with those irritating step-brothers of hers._

After a few minutes, he lifted his head and immediately put in a call to his favorite take-out place. When he was through, he hung up and resumed his exploration of her mouth with his while they waited for lunch to arrive.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

When she finally was allowed to leave, Yuki weaseled a promise from her to allow him to visit her at her family shrine and to give him a personal tour, not to mention an private audience with her grandfather. She asked why he wanted to meet her grandfather privately, but Yuki laughed joyfully.

"Darling! Really, your innocence is too charming! To ask his blessing, of course! Just because Sesshoumaru is the head of your family, he's still not a blood relative. No, I'll go to your grandfather instead. Okay, honey?"

His warm and happy smile touched her. _How could she tell him no?_

At the shrine, she went to her grandfather and told him of her decision to return as the shrine's miko. Tearfully, he grabbed his granddaughter and hugged her tightly. "Thank Kami-sama! I've been praying for this day! Come, come! Let's get ready to greet the faithful." He took her by the hand and led her upstairs to get changed.

"Ojii-san, there's something else you should know."

Stopping in mid-stride, her grandfather turned to look at her and she smiled at him. "My friend, Miroku, and I... we're soul mates, ojii-san."

His wise old eyes glistened with joyful tears. "How--? When--?" he asked, as though he daren't believe what he was hearing.

"On Mount Koya. When we meditated together, it just... happened. It felt as if our souls were dancing about our head, spinning around each other. There was such a sensation of happiness and utter calm, I'd never have known it was possible to feel like that unless I experienced it myself. I believed that it had just been me that had felt like that, but when I turned to Miroku, I knew right away that he felt exactly how I did. The elder monk, when we asked him what had just happened, told us that we were soul mates." Kagome bowed her head. "I wish I'd realized this sooner. I could have leaned on his strength back in the days when I had none, instead of bothering everybody."

"You were never a bother, my dear." Her grandfather patted her hand. "Anyway, it doesn't matter now, Kagome. The fact is that you two have found each other. That's more than what most people can say. Many don't ever find theirs in their lifetime. You are truly one of the lucky ones."

A few days later, Kagome arrived at the shrine to find a familiar face waiting for her. Miroku, once again clad in his purple robes, was talking with her grandfather. When she came towards them, both of them turned to face her and Miroku gave her a short bow before taking her hand in his. The moment their hands touched, the familiar sense of calm swept over her, leaving her to clutch at his hand.

The past few days had been a whirlwind, with Sesshoumaru, Kouga and his boys, not to mention Yuki and a sadly subdued Hiro (he told her that he was moving out, but did not seem too happy about it. He hadn't even told her _why_ he was leaving) all calling her every hour on the hour (or so it seemed) to check up on her. She was afraid to _not _answer her phone, for the one time she'd decided that she was weary of people checking up on her, she didn't answer and twenty minutes later was horribly startled to hear a loud banging on her front door.

She had been in the shower at the time and had heard the sound of a crash over the noise of the running water. Frightened, she wondered if her front door had been broken down and quickly wrapped a towel around her. Peering cautiously around the bathroom door into her bedroom, she heard the heavy pounding of feet up the stairs. Fearing burglars, Kagome couldn't help but scream and slam the bathroom door shut, locking it hurriedly.

_"KAGOME!!!'_ cried a strong male voice and in the space of a heartbeat, the bathroom door came crashing in, barely giving Kagome time to get away from it. Three men came bursting in, causing Kagome to scream again and fall back on her rump, one hand over her eyes and the other on the top of her towel trying to hold it in place.

That was the first time she'd ever thought about slapping anyone. She very nearly did when Kouga dropped to his knees beside her, apologies stuttering from his mouth. When she had the nerve to look up at him, she saw that his entire face was bright red, as though he'd been sunburnt.

"What do you think you're doing?" she cried, attempting to recover, feeling her heart race painfully in her chest. She wanted to cry from frustration. They had just broken down her bathroom door! She could only imagine what they'd done to her front door...

"I-I'm sorry!" Kouga muttered, reaching out to help her up, but distress flashed over his face when she scooted away from him. "I thought... I mean..."

"It sounded like you were in trouble," offered Ginta, coming to Kouga's defense. "When we heard you scream--"

She clutched at her heart, turning her face up to the elder Kawase brother. "Y-you broke into my house and ran up the stairs. Of c-course I'd scream. I didn't know who you were."

Hakkaku nodded, dark eyes darting away to keep from staring openly at Kagome's exposed thighs and risk Kouga noticing that he was practically drooling. He didn't want to get beat down for doing something he always did when a half-naked woman was around. Everyone knew he was a leg man. "That may be, but you didn't answer the phone, Kagome-neesan," he told her in a quietly accusing voice. "And you can't get mad at us, 'cuz Sesshoumaru gave us permission to break into the house if you weren't answering. We're only following orders."

Kagome only groaned into her hands. What was Sesshoumaru thinking, to allow them to disturb her privacy like this? She turned her body and gripped the side of the tub, pulling herself up onto her feet, completely ignoring Kouga's helping hands. "Well, I thank you for your concern, but really, it was unnecessary. As you can see, I'm just fine." She gave them a shaky smile before turning away from them. "If you don't mind, I need to finish my bath."

"Yeah, okay." Kouga's voice was uncertain. He didn't want to leave her alone; he wanted to ask her why she pulled away from him. Having her do that to him _hurt_ deeply. She'd never pulled away from him before. "I'm sorry about this, Kagome. "When you're finished, I'll fix your door. If that's alright with you. Um... we'll be downstairs fixing the other door. Sorry about that one, too."

"That's fine. Thank you, it would be most helpful." Bending down, she turned her faucets back on to let the water run, telling them in the politest way possible to leave.

And now, as she walked beside Miroku, fingers entwined, broken doors and intrusive loved ones didn't seem to matter so very much anymore.

"We should meditate for awhile," her soul twin whispered in her ear. "There are some black spots in your aura, sweetheart. You can't help people if you're upset like this."

She nodded and allowed him to take her away.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

May finally rolled around, and with it brought warm, sunny days and a very happy Inuyasha. He returned home with gifts for his family. Souta, upon seeing his brother waiting for him after school, he abandoned his usual stoic demeanor and ran to him, hugging him. "Inuyasha! You're back!" he cried excitedly.

Inuyasha clutched the boy to him. "You bet, kiddo. Damn, it's good to see you!"

Grinning up at Inuyasha, Souta nodded. "Come on! Let's go bother Sesshoumaru! Make him take us out for ice cream!" he demanded as the two walked to Inuyasha's car.

The elder male cast Souta an amused sideways glance. "Eh? You're better at getting things from him than I am, Souta. You do it." He paused for the space of a heartbeat then added, "Or better yet, get Kagome to do it. She could melt the iciest heart--"

Souta shook his head as he and Inuyasha got in to the car. "Can't. She's usually busy at this time of the day."

Strapping his seat belt across his body, Inuyasha frowned. "Why? Don't tell me that Sesshoumaru let her have a job? Things can't have changed _that_ much while I was gone." He started the engine and they pulled away from the curb. The ensuing silence bothered him. There was something Souta wasn't telling him. "Have they? Souta? What's changed?"

Again, Souta shook his head. "A lot has happened that you don't know about, Inu." He glanced over at his step-brother with a worried expression. "I know how much you loved Kagome."

"Loved? What do you mean, _loved?_ I still do. Damn it, boy, spill it."

With a huge sigh and a feeling of impending disaster, Souta spilled everything from Kagome's relationship with Kouga, the accident with Yuki, her disappearance for over a week, the declaration of love from Yuki, the proposals of marriage not only from Kouga and Yuki... _(here he paused, wondering if he should say anymore, but Inuyasha grabbed hold of his shirt and refused to let go until he talked)_... but Sesshoumaru as well.

"Sesshoumaru? _He's_ _in love with Kagome?!_" cried the silver-haired man. He jerked the wheel and the car swerved, barely missing the vehicle in front of them. "That prick! He never even... _fucking_...told me!" His foot slammed on the gas and they shot forward into traffic. "No _wonder_ he sent me away for so long! He wanted me outta the way so he could make his move, right?"

Souta quickly covered his eyes with his hands. "Oi, slow down, baka! I wanna live to see my next bowl of ice cream!" The car slowed down and he felt brave enough to lower his hands. "No, he sent you away because of what you did to my sister. But of _course_ he's not going to tell you that's he's fallen for the same woman you're in love with, Inu. You have no idea how hard this has been on your brother. He's wild about Kagome but kept his feelings hidden for your sake for a long time now. But with Kouga and Yuki both in love with her too and wanting to marry her, he panicked. Kouga actually _bought_ her an engagement ring, you know. Sesshoumaru was scared to lose her to another man and acted purely out of instinct to keep her away from him, so he confessed to her that he loved her and wanted to marry her."

Inuyasha gripped the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles turned white. "But he _knows_ that I love her! Why didn't he tell me he felt the same? He coulda at least let me know something so I don't have to find out later on down the line, shit..."

In hindsight, Souta knew he shouldn't have said a damned thing more on this matter. That feeling of doom should have been a red flag for him to keep his trap shut. Of course, he completely took the blame for starting it and the subsequent blow-up, but it would be Inuyasha who would take it the rest of the way...

"Well," Souta began, blissfully unaware of what was to come, "Sesshoumaru knew that you'd never really score with my sister. I think he was just humoring you--"

The rest of the trip to Sesshoumaru's office was a blur. Souta couldn't help but cower against his door, wondering if it wouldn't be safer to just fling himself out of the car as it roared along the highway. Beside him, Inuyasha was screaming profanities that made his tender, teenaged ears burn. Inuyasha had barely stopped the car when Souta made a break for it. He flung himself out of the car and gratefully kissed the sidewalk.

"Oh, thank kami, thank kami!" Souta cried, perfectly willing to tongue the cement in gratitude, but a heavy hand snatched him by the collar and hauled him to his feet, dragging him into the office building. He was all too aware of Morikawa employees staring at them, some bowing to greet the enraged Inuyasha and welcome him home, while some wondering if they should help the boy caught in his grasp. But Souta waved to them, to show them he was okay. "He's just happy to be back!" he croaked cheerfully.

When they got to Sesshoumaru's office, Inuyasha muscled his way in, still holding Souta by the neck. Sesshoumaru, whose long fingers were flying over his keyboard, looked up from his monitor. "Oh, hey, Inuyasha! I thought you were coming back tonight." He stopped typing and got to his feet. "Welcome home, little bro--"

"Save it! I know all about your evil machinations, _my dear brother!_ You want my woman and don't bother to deny it! Souta sang like a canary just now and I know _everything_."

"Machinations?" mumbled the boy at the end of Inuyasha's arm. "You know that word?"

"Silence!" Inuyasha shook Souta and Souta obediantly clammed up.

Sesshoumaru walked around his desk to face his irate brother. He sat on the edge of his desk and crossed his arms over his chest, making him looked completely at ease and in control, which of course he was. "So, Inuyasha... you've decided to take out your rage for me out on a teenage boy? A boy, moreover, that is the younger brother of the woman that we both love?"

This seemed to shake Inuyasha to the core. Sanity returned to his eyes and he released Souta's collar. "Oh. Sorry, Souta. I... didn't mean to rough you up like that."

"No, no, it's cool," muttered Souta, rubbing the back of his neck.

Inuyasha turned his attention back to Sesshoumaru, who was eyeing him cooly. _Almost like a dog catcher keeping an eye on a dog that could turn vicious at any moment,_ he thought sullenly. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself? How could you betray me like this?"

The elder man continued to lounge against the desk and for a moment, his gaze dropped down to his long legs which were crossed at the ankles and examined his immaculately polished shoes. "What is it that you want me to say, Inuyasha? That this all some big misunderstanding?" The hard golden gaze shifted back upwards to Inuyasha's face. "I said nothing all this time to spare your feelings because I knew how much you cared for her, and if you think I sent you to Kagoshima to get rid of you, then you're sadly mistaken. You may _think_ I betrayed you, but let's face the facts here, little brother. Kagome was terrified of you and your heavy handed treatment of her. You weren't treating her as well as you _thought_ you did. You continued to harass her and you made her life miserable, despite your good intentions. That's why you got sent away. She needed her space from you, Inuyasha. Space that you would never willingly give her."

"And now?" asked Inuyasha, dejection radiating from his very being. "How does she feel about me?"

"She thinks of you only as her brother. She doesn't want to live under the same roof as you, Inuyasha, because she's afraid of what you might do to her. It will take awhile for her to regain her trust in you, if at all."

"Hey," interrupted Souta, "since we're talking about the truth here, how about you guys tell me what happened to my sister back then? You know, when my Mom was dating your dad? No one seems to want to tell me--"

Inuyasha cleared his throat hurriedly. "Um, Sesshoumaru, what's your feelings concerning Kagome? Are you for real or just trying to piss me off?" He ignored Souta's scowl.

"I love Kagome and I wish to wed her. But what else can I tell you to piss you off further? Hmm. Oh yes, how about this? Sometimes, I sleep with her. Did you know that?"

"You s-sleep with Kagome?!" Inuyasha's tanned face paled considerably. He turned to Souta. "Did you know about this?"

Souta frowned and nodded. "Yeah, I know about it. It isn't as bad as it sounds, Inu, really. But I thought you knew about that already."

Inuyasha stared with astonishment at his brothers. Slowly, he shook his head. "No... I had no idea...I knew he stayed over at her place sometimes, though." After a moment, his youthful face tightened with anger and his golden eyes flashed. "What the hell, Sesshoumaru? How long has _this_ been going on? Have you been screwing Kagome?! You _know_ how fragile she is!"

Sesshoumaru shook his head and sighed. "I can't believe you would think that I could do something like that to Kagome. Your lack of faith in me hurts." Reaching back across his desk, he picked up his phone and let one slim index finger hover above the keypad. "Shall I call Kagome and you can ask her yourself?"

He shook his head and Sesshoumaru hung up the receiver. "Look, ever since Kagome was rushed to the hospital several years ago, I've had moments when I become so worried about her, I can't sleep."

"But Sesshoumaru, we know this. The doctor put you on sleeping pills for that, right?" Inuyasha was frowning.

Nodding, Sesshoumaru uncrossed his arms and moved down to grip the edge of his desk. "The problem with that is that I don't like having to take them. It doesn't feel natural to me, which is why I sleep with Kagome. We don't do anything, except sleep. Having her with me allows me to fall asleep naturally. Do you understand now?"

"I suppose so, but what will you do when I marry her and you can't sleep? You're screwed then," Inuyasha retorted with a scowl. "Like hell I'd let you into our bed."

"She's not going to marry you, baka," Souta broke in, not caring if Inuyasha got mad or not. "She's got enough men on her plate as it is--"

"That's enough, Souta," Sesshoumaru said reproachfully. "I don't like sounding like an entree."

Souta pouted and then glared at Inuyasha. "Hey! Speaking of food, where's my ice cream?" He grabbed Inuyasha's arm and tugged. "Come on, guys! Ice cream! Now!"

"I guess this means a fight to the death," commented Inuyasha dryly as he glared at his brother.

"I guess so," replied his brother with an equally dry tone, straightening to his full height.

"Come on you two! Let's grab Kagome and go have ice cream!" Souta grabbed hold of Inuyasha's arm. "Fight to the death later! Ice cream, now!"

Inuyasha looked over at his older brother, who resumed his seat behind his desk. "Well? Aren't you coming for ice cream, Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru resumed typing, his eyes fixed intently once more on the computer monitor. "In a few minutes. I need to finish this up. You two go on ahead. I'll be home shortly."

So they left, leaving Sesshoumaru to his work. While they were driving away from the office building, Inuyasha turned to look at Souta, who was staring absently out of his window. He reached out and ruffled the boy's soft black hair. Souta's eyes slid over and their gazes met.

Souta frowned slightly. "What?"

Inuyasha shook his head and took his hand away. "Nothing."

"You're not going to tell me about what happened back then, are you?"

"I'd prefer not to."

"Why not?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "It's ancient history, for one thing."

"And for another?"

"And for another... you'd probably end up hating me, although I wouldn't blame you in the least. It was a bad time, Souta. Hey, where's Kagome at right now? Maybe we can convince her to come home and have ice cream with us."

Souta lay back against the leather seat and turned his face away, so that he was once again staring out of his window. "She's at the shrine with grandpa."

While they sped off down the highway, Inuyasha's mind was filled with thoughts of Kagome. What would she say when she saw him again? How would she react? _'Please don't let her hate me,'_ he thought miserably. _'I couldn't bear it if she hated me.'_

As it turned out, Inuyasha would have no need to worry on that score. After he and Souta climbed up the shrine steps, it didn't take long to spot her. Dressed in her miko costume, she was kneeling on the ground, speaking to a young child. The little boy, who had apparently taken a tumble and scraped his knees, was laughing at what she was telling him while she cleaned his minor wounds and put bandages on his little legs.

When the boy and his gently admonishing, yet grateful mother walked away together hand-in-hand, Kagome got to her feet and felt a pair of hands helping her up. She turned to see who was touching her.

Instead of being slammed with the rebuke he was expecting, Kagome greeted Inuyasha with such warmth that his insides melted. Her eyes widened with amazement when her eyes first rested on him.

"Inuyasha!" she breathed. His smile was uncertain, but hers wasn't. "You're back!" she cried happily, slipping her arms around his middle and giving him a good, short squeeze. "I've missed you! How have you been?"

His arms went around her and tightened. "I've missed you too, Kagome. More than words can say, I've missed you." When she pulled back from him, he reached up to cradle her face in his hands. "After all this time, I still feel the same about you, Kagome. I hope I've matured enough for you to look at me in a different light now."

The warmth of her smile continued to make his head spin, but her eyes seemed to delve into his soul. "You _have_ matured, Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru is very proud of you, you know. So am I." She turned from him to greet her brother, who hugged her to him, burying his face in her hair. It was a comfortable embrace, full of love and the knowledge that they had always loved each other, no matter what.

Inuyasha felt a sudden pang of jealousy. He wanted to hug her like that, with no ugly past between them. No matter how overjoyed she appeared to be to see him again, there was that undercurrent of distrust that would never go away. Sesshoumaru's words came back to him and he felt utterly miserable. Kagome had been scared of him... but he'd never stopped to see it. Or never wanted to see it.

A soft hand touched his arm and Inuyasha looked down in time to see her hand slipping into his. "Kagome?"

Kagome smiled at him. "Come, grandfather wants to see you again."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

In the end, Kagome agreed to join her brothers for ice cream and left with them. She took her own car, following behind Inuyasha's sports car. When they arrived at the Morikawa home, she saw that Sesshoumaru had come home as well and she decided to ask him why he had allowed Kouga to break into her home. She didn't really want to, though. He might become angry with her for speaking out against his decision.

But he wasn't. After asking to talk with him in private, he led her to his and shut the door behind them.

"What may I do for you, beloved?" he said, taking her hand in his and kissing her fingertips.

The look of passion in his eyes very nearly distracted her and she shuddered involuntarily. "S-sesshoumaru, please. I'm trying to concentrate here."

Sesshoumaru stared at her for a moment then laughed, his rich, baritone voice coming suddenly alive with delighted amusement. "Darling, what are you saying? That I'm a distraction to you?" He leaned over to brush his lips against her forehead then down further to place a kiss on one of her flushed cheeks. "Is that good or bad?" he whispered in her ear.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome moved away from him. "Sesshoumaru, why did you tell Kouga and his boys to break into my house if I didn't answer my phone?"

His face stilled and he straightened his body. "Why? What happened?" he asked cautiously.

"Lets' just say that both my front door and my bathroom door need to be repaired." When her guardian looked away, she went on, "I thought they were burglars, Sesshoumaru. It was very frightening to hear men running around in my house like that. I just... I just wanted to tell you that I didn't like knowing that you had allowed them to do what they did."

He turned back to her, a look of helplessness in his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Kagome, but you've go to understand that when I discovered you had gone, I thought the worst had happened to you. Do you know just how precious you are to me?"

"Yes, of course, Sesshoumaru but--"

"I worry about you so much, Kagome. I worry that you may go back to the way you were five years ago. I worry that if I leave you alone for a minute, something terrible will happen to you and I'll never see you again. We've already gone through that kind of scare once before; I doubt any of us wish to see that again." His eyes darkened and his voice deepened. "I'm sorry if they scared you, darling, but I don't want to receive news of you taking off on your own days _after_ you've already left."

His words left her shaken. Had she really worried him _that_ much?

"The least you could have done was told me--"

"But that's just it! You _wouldn't_ have let me leave, Sesshoumaru!" she cried, suddenly overwhelmed by guilt and frustration. Tears sprang to her eyes and she wiped them away angrily. "I love you; kami help me, I love you so much, but I can take care of myself! I'm not a baby!" Her furious eyes shone like a pair of bright brown gems.

Sesshoumaru was shocked to see her behave this way, but he knew he liked it this spark of anger. It meant that after so very long, life was returning to her again and he wanted to see her bubbling over with it again, like she had when she was a child. But she wasn't ready to be set free completely... that, and the fact that he didn't want to let her go. He supposed he should tell her everything now, to explain the promise he had made. Hopefully, it would be enough to lessen her anger against him.

With a sigh, he turned and walked away to the study windows. Leaning heavily against the wall, he stared out over his perfectly groomed lawns and gardens. "Do you know why I'm so over-protective of you, Kagome?"

He could hear the confusion in her voice when she answered, "Y-yes. Because you're my guardian and because you love me."

Raising a hand, he ran his fingers through his hair, then chose a lock of silken silver at random and absently began twirling it around one long finger. "Besides that, beloved. There's another reason why I treat you the way I do." Releasing his hair, he turned away from the window and leaned back against it, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Tell me, please," she requested softly, moving slowly towards him.

His beautiful face was sober. "I was asked to do it, Kagome. It was your mother's dying wish."

Pain shot across her face. Kagome's eyes slid closed and she sank down on the nearest piece furniture as though her legs could no longer hold her weight. "T-tell me more,"she breathed.

"She knew about Inuyasha. She knew the whole time."

Kagome leaned forward, hands covering her face, bringing her elbows back against her abdomen. Her slim shoulders shook slightly. "Why... didn't she say anything to me?" she managed between sobs.

Going to her, Sesshoumaru got on his knees before her and pulled her into an embrace. "Your mother knew something was horribly wrong when you began to withdraw from everyone. She waited for you to tell her yourself, but you never did. It was difficult for her to watch you keep yourself at a distance from everyone, but she figured that if she gave you enough time, you'd tell her eventually."

Uncovering her hands, she grabbed him, throwing her arms around his neck, weeping inconsolably. "I couldn't! How could I tell her something like that when she was so happy? She was in love with your father! But I couldn't ruin her life! I just couldn't!"

"You wouldn't have ruined her life, sweetheart! She saw what was going on and she felt it was all her fault for not putting a stop to it. Like you, she didn't want to cause anyone any trouble and said nothing to my dad, fearing she would anger him by saying such things about one of his sons. But minutes before she died, she begged me to watch over you like you were my own, to not let _anything_ happen to her baby girl. She felt nothing but regret for allowing you to go through what you went through, Kagome." He kissed the side of her head and inhaled the calming scent of her hair. "Your mother made me promise to take care of you... and I was more than willing to do as she wished."

She continued to cling to him and all he could do was hold her.

"I haven't exactly done my best concerning you," he told her quietly. "I've screwed up and I very nearly let you slip away completely. I won't let that happen again, beloved. I made a promise to your mother and I intend to keep it, no matter what you say. So if it bothers you when I smother you, forgive me, beloved. But I won't let up on you, you hear me?"

Kagome nodded, her weeping subsiding little by little as he continued to hold her. She couldn't believe that he hadn't told her this before. Why had he kept it from her?

"You never told me this before, Sesshoumaru. Why?"

"Honestly, I didn't know how you would take it... and I didn't want you hating your mother for not coming to your defense. She was such a sweet little thing who hated to confront anybody." He smiled against her hair. "You are so much like her, beloved, its uncanny."

"I see." Relaxing against him, she snuffled. "I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru."

"For what?"

"I got the front of your shirt all wet."

Sesshoumaru chuckled and gave her a squeeze. "I've told you before that I'd do anything for you and that includes wearing tear-soaked clothing. Heck, if you were a baby, I'd even happily change your diapers."

This time it was Kagome who laughed and playfully pushed him away. "Oh, that's disgusting! You would _not_, Sesshoumaru. I can't see you changing a baby's diapers. Not _you_, of all people."

"You don't?"

She shook her head. "Nope. Playing with a baby, sure, but not changing a dirty nappy. You don't seem the type."

"Are you sure?"

The solemn tone in his voice caused Kagome to look up at him curiously. Heavy-lidded golden eyes watched her intently. She nodded somewhat uncertainly. "Yes, pretty sure. Why?"

Sesshoumaru leaned over and capture her lips in a soft, sensual kiss. Beneath him, Kagome sat quite still, unable to move. Her heart was pounding like a trip hammer against her rib cage and there was little doubt of what he meant.

A knock on the door caused Sesshoumaru to draw away from her and rise to his feet. "Yes?" He did not let his irritation show, for he slid his carefully schooled mask into place, making him look calm and business-like.

The door opened and Inuyasha stood outside. "Everything okay? Souta's getting impatient because his ice cream's melting." His gaze fell on Kagome, who was still bunched up on her chair, sporting a tear-stained face. "Kagome? Are you alright?" He looked suspiciously at his brother, who only gave him a cool look in return.

"I'm fine, Inuyasha," she reassured him, getting up and going over to him. She felt like she needed to step away from Sesshoumaru, who had been filled with irritation at the interruption. Kagome wondered just how far he _would_ have gone if Inuyasha had not knocked on the door. Probably not too far; he wouldn't want to frighten her, but with Inuyasha back in the picture she knew Sesshoumaru would want to further stake his claim on her.

"Okay, Kagome." Relief flooded Inuyasha's face and he smiled down at her. "So come on, you two. We're waiting for you."

As Sesshoumaru watched them walk away, he allowed his face to slide into a scowl. Inuyasha had been listening at the door the whole time. Sesshoumaru had realized it the moment he looked in his little brother's eyes. He was certain that the long stretch of silence had told Inuyasha what was going on. Damn that boy's nosiness! Inuyasha always managed to meddle in other people's affairs whether they wanted it or not.

He followed the pair into the dining room where Souta was already digging into his mammoth bowl of ice cream. The table was covered with chocolate sauces, pineapple sauce, strawberries, butterscotch, caramel, chopped peanuts, colorful sprinkles and of course, the ice cream itself.

"Here guys, help yourselves," Souta managed around a mouthful of vanilla ice cream and strawberries. He waved his spoon airily in the direction of the delicious-looking spread. "There's plenty."

Kagome watched with some degree of horror and amazement as her little brother stuffed his face full of the sugary stuff. "I see. Thank you, Souta."

Souta nodded benevolently in her direction as he chewed.

While Kagome and Inuyasha were helping themselves, Sesshoumaru watched them silently. His little family was back together again, he thought with contentment. Then as his eyes fell on Kagome, he sensed someone glaring at him. Of course, it was Inuyasha, whose gaze hardened as he stared at Sesshoumaru over Kagome's bent head.

There was a message in that stern look that saddened Sesshoumaru. _'If this is how things will be, then this is war,'_ Inuyasha's eyes told him. _'I won't give her up so easily.'_

The cheerful homecoming that he had planned for Inuyasha seemed to fly right out of the window. How could it possibly be cheerful when he had to figure out a way to compete with his own flesh and blood for the love of the woman they both desired?


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

_ooooooooooooooo_

_This chapter is dedicated to a brave soldier friend of mine, his girlfriend, and their lovely baby girl. He's in Iraq right now and I just want to say, stay safe out there, Bryson! To Monique and little Olivia, stay strong._

_ooooooooooooooo_

Chapter 19

Yuki's leg was getting stronger little by little, but he continued to rely heavily on his walking cane and quite often the pain in his knee was so painful that he had to take to his bed. What was worse, (at least in _his_ mind) his arch-nemesis Kaede had returned in full force to once more take complete control of his existance.

Dr. Yamadera felt that his relative was _definitely_ in need of another surgery to try to correct his leg. Yuki told his cousin in no uncertain terms to "get off his fucking ass and get him signed up for that damned surgery or find himself on the business end of this sweet-ass cane". Akira promised to have his surgery scheduled as soon as possible. He did not want to have Yuki try to beat him down every time he came around. But it wasn't because he was scared of his cousin; Akira just didn't want to get a bad rap for beating up a guy in a wheelchair.

On the eve of his surgery, an unusually calm Yuki lay in his hospital bed watching television when a soft knock came on his door. "Come in," he called out.

The door opened and Hiro walked in, followed by Akira. Yuki smiled at Hiro. "Hey, little brother. How are you doing?"

Hiro returned the smile and took Yuki by the hand. "Better than you. How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?"

Yuki shook his head. "Nah, I'm feeling all right." His warm gaze slid over to his cousin and he regarded Akira in a dreamy sort of way. "Hi, Akira. How're you? You look great." His smile did not falter or diminish in any way and Akira took note of the way Yuki's happy, sparkling eyes were glazed over.

Akira grunted and checked his patient's monitors. "All right my ass, he's sky high right now," he muttered to Hiro, who burst into hearty laughter. Giving Hiro an amused sideways glance, Akira let loose with his own soft chuckle. "I like him better this way, don't you?"

"Most definitely," Hiro agreed, squeezing his brother's hand. "Oh hey, there's someone else here to see you." He stood back to allow his brother to see two people enter his room.

A handsomely dressed couple came in and upon recognizing them brought Yuki out of his drugged state. "Mom? Dad?"

Yamadera Ryuji nodded at his son while his wife, Rini, went forward to take their eldest son's hand. "Yuki," she murmured, giving him a nervous smile. "How are you, darling?"

Large green eyes stared up at her, tears threatening to fall. "Mom?" he whispered, unable to say anything more. She sat beside him, her gentle brown eyes gazing down at him with such love that he shot up off the bed and threw his arms around her. "Mom! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry I ruined your lives! Please... please say you forgive me!"

With an ecstatic smile, Rini's eyes closed. Her arms slid around her son's waist, holding him to her. "I forgave you a long time ago, sweetheart," she told him, kissing his neck. "I just wish you had come home to see your father and I. We've missed you so much."

Hiro smiled over at his father, who appeared to be as overcome as Rini and actually had to turn his head away to keep his youngest child and nephew from seeing his tears.

"I love you, mom," Yuki said, squeezing his eyes shut, "and I've missed you, too. I've got so much to tell you..."

Rini chuckled and pulled back. She reached up with one perfectly manicured hand and ran her fingers through her son's fair locks that were exactly like her own. Her tender, knowing smile lit up her eyes that so closely resembled Hiro's. "Hiro tells me you're in love, Yuki. I'm so happy for you! What is she like?"

Yuki smiled mistily, his mind instantly bringing a picture of Kagome before his eyes. "She's... incredible. She's so beautiful and sweet and loving... Mom, I know you'll love her as much as I do."

Giving her boy a kiss on the cheek, she asked, "Well, what's her name? I'd love to meet her."

"Kagome," Yuki said dreamily.

"Higurashi Kagome," Hiro amended with a shake of his head. "Remember her, mom? She's my best friend."

Rini's brown eyes widened with surprise. "Kagome? Are you serious?" She burst into delighted laughter while her sons looked on in confusion. "Oh, Yuki! Don't tell me you've forgotten!"

Yuki frowned. "Forgotten what? What are you talking about?"

With a sigh, Rini began her narrative. "It all began years ago, when you were about eight years old..."

_ooo_

_A small, tow-headed little boy ran through the shrine, laughter tumbling from his perfect little lips. He was beautiful, graceful, energectic... but for a moment, his energectic beauty could not save him. His graceful movements abruptly ended when he tripped over a small rock. He fell heavily, skinning his right knee badly. _

_"Mommy! Mommy!" cried the golden haired angel, tears streaming down his sweet little face. _

_His mother came running outside of the funny old monk's house. "Yuki? Baby? What happened?" _

_Yuki ran to her, burying his face against her thigh. "I fell down!" he wailed, hating the stinging pain shooting through his leg. "It hurts, mommy!"_

_With something of a purring noise, his mom picked up her weeping boy and carried him into the house. _

_"What's the matter, Rini?" another woman's voice said, full of concern. _

_His mother laughed softly. "Yuki just fell and hurt his knee, Kaori. Do you have any antiseptic and bandaids?"  
_

_"Certainly, I'll get them right away." _

_Laying her little boy on the sofa in the living room, Rini touches his tear-stained face. "It will be okay. You just scraped your knee, my love. I think you'll live." She wrinkled her nose at him, but he only burst into more tears. "Oh, sweetie..."_

_His little body shook, wracked by his sobs. "But it... hurts, mommy! It hurts me!" He hiccupped mightily, but it did nothing to cease his weeping._

_"I know it does, Yuki. I know it does." _

_When she applied the medicine to clean his war wound, Yuki howled with agony, fresh tears spilling down his smooth, rosy cheeks. When the bandage was finally applied, Rini held her little boy close, but to no avail. He continued to cry loudly, even pushing her away. _

_Rini looked over at Kaori, who shrugged and shook her head. _

_That was when Kaori's little girl Kagome came into the room with Rini's youngest son Hiro, who was about the same age. The girl was looking rather distressed. She went over to the sobbing older boy, crawled up onto the couch with him and immediately grabbed onto his hand. The little girl said nothing, but only leaned against him and closed her big brown eyes. _

_The moment her hand slipped into his, Yuki's wails ceased and he lay back against the cushions with the little girl as she lay against him, watching her curiously... intently..._

_ooo_

Rini laughed when she finished telling Yuki her little story. As for the invalid, he was completely taken aback.

"I knew her that long ago?" he asked, eyes unblinking.

His mother nodded and gave him a sly smile. "But that's nothing compared to what happened later on..."

_ooo_

_Yuki, happy that he and Hiro were accompanying their mother to the shrine again, tripped contentedly along beside her, holding onto her hand. He couldn't wait to see her again... that little girl who was so cute. When they arrived, something diverted his attention and he was off at a run to see what it was. It was only a couple of squirrels fighting, so he shrugged and ran back to the house where his mom and brother were. _

_He opened the door and went to the living room, where he heard his mom and the little girl's mom talking and laughing together. They were sitting on the couch drinking tea... but he didn't care about that right now. All he cared about was that little girl. Where was she? _

_Yuki looked over at the other end of the room and found what he was seeking. She was there, quietly playing with some blocks. But she wasn't alone. _

_His brother Hiro was there too. He was grinning at Kagome and when she needed a block to finish building her house, he gave her one of his, his pudgy little hand holding out a block to her. She looked up at Hiro and smiled sweetly at him, taking the block from him. _

_Jealousy washed over him and the little blond boy knew only one thing. His brother was trying to steal her away from him! _

_Yuki marched right up to them and kicked his little brother's carefully stacked pile of blocks. Hiro burst into tears and ran to their mother, but Yuki didn't care. Hiro had been trying to steal Kagome away! _

"_I hate you, Hiroshi!" Yuki screamed at his brother. "Kagome's **my** friend, not yours!" _

_His mother shook her head while she tried to comfort his bawling brother. "Now Yuki, that wasn't very nice of you to speak to your brother that way. Come here and apologize to him." _

_A flare of rebellion sparked in Yuki's green eyes and he crossed his arms over his chest, his lower lip protruding. "No! I don't wanna!" _

_When they got home an hour later, Yuki was pulled to his room and made to sit on his bed while his mom gently admonished him for his poor behavior. Yuki only glared silently at her and eventually turned his head away from her. _

_She asked him what was wrong, but Yuki only shook his head and kept his head averted. His mother looked sad. "Tell me, Yuki. Please? I want to know if something's wrong. Okay?" _

_Yuki sighed and looked at his mother with exasperation. "She's mine," he whispered miserably. _

_His mother looked startled for a moment, then laughed softly. "But darling, she's Hiro's friend, too. You have to learn to share." _

_But Yuki shook his head obstinately. "No, mommy, you don't understand. **She's mine**." He poked himself in the chest with one little finger and her eyes widened. _

_"Yuki...!"_

_With a firm shake of his head, he went on seriously, his green eyes leveled on her and his voice dropped an octave lower. "Kagome is mine, mommy," he repeated, frowning. His eyes glittered with a strange, fierce light and Rini felt at a loss at what to say or do. When had her little boy started becoming a grown-up? _

_Yuki continued in a grave, very adult tone. "I want her and I'm going to marry her someday. Hiro can't play with her because she's mine. I don't want to share her and you can't make me."_

_ooo_

"Eh?!" Yuki was completely taken aback at his mother's story. "Are you saying... I mean..."

Rini nodded, her brown eyes sparkling. "Yes, darling. You wanted Kagome back then. The only problem was that she loved both of you very much and it appeared to confuse her whenever you got upset at her for playing with your brother." She leaned forward and kissed her son on the forehead. "But whenever you were in the room, her little face lit up and she had eyes for no one else, not even for Hiro while she was playing with him."

"Oh, thanks mom," Hiro groaned and glared at his older brother, who looked positively radiant.

"Sorry, darling," Rini said with a rueful smile and took her other son's hand in hers. "But that's just the way it was. That little girl had a crush on Yuki for the longest time. Kaori and I thought it was so adorable how well Yuki and Kagome played together despite the five year age difference. They always got along... just as long as she didn't show any interest in you. When that happened, Yuki became upset and quite jealous. He always hated having you around because Kagome would want to play with you too." Rini's brown eyes crinkled at the corners. "My Yuki was always such a selfish little boy," she added good-naturedly, ruffling her eldest son's hair.

"He hasn't changed much, mom," muttered Hiro, bending over and wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "Yuki's _still_ selfish." Still glaring at his brother, Hiro stuck his tongue out at him.

"Shut up, Hiro," Yuki snapped irritably.

"Boys, please don't start," interjected their father sternly. He went around to Yuki's other side to take his son's free hand. "I hope that since we made this first step to become a family again that you'll meet us half way. Your mother and I would love to have you in our lives again, Yuki."

Yuki smiled up at his father, gripping his hand tightly. "And I want to be a part of your lives again, dad," he said solemnly. "I've missed you both so very much."

Ryuji's green eyes twinkled and he smiled at his eldest boy. "I'm very glad to hear that. Come Rini, he needs his rest."

"Dad?" Yuki tried to keep his grip on his father's hand but Ryuji gently pulled away.

"We'll be here when you come out of surgery tomorrow, Yuki. Get some sleep, okay?" He leaned over to place a kiss on the top of his son's mussed blond head. "I love you, son."

"I love you too, dad."

Rini and Ryuji left, leaving Akira and Hiro alone with the patient. Akira smiled at Yuki, his green eyes sparkling with amusement. "Whoa, Yuki! I never knew you had a girlfriend back then, you stud. Eight years old huh? Man, you sure got started early, didn't you?"

Yuki lay back down and curled up on his right side, his face thoughtful. "I didn't know it either, Akira. I can't believe that I didn't remember something like that. But now I no longer have to wonder why it feels so right being with her. We were meant to be together practically from the beginning of our lives."

ooooooooooooooooooo

When he came out of surgery the next day, his parents were indeed waiting for him, as were his brother and cousin. Ryuji and Rini stayed for several minutes and left when his mother began feeling sleepy. When they had gone, Akira leaned over him and gave him a reassuring smile. "Your surgeon said it was as successful as he'd hoped. You'll still have a scar of course and possibly you'll still have a bit of a limp, but the pain should be drastically lessened. You may not even need your cane anymore."

Yuki, still groggy from the anesthesia, frowned. "Aw, man. I paid a lot for that cane," he grumbled.

Akira grinned. "Well, by all means, keep it. I'm sure you'll need it to beat down all the men who leer at Kagome after the two of you get married."

"Kagome!" Yuki's eyes widened and he forced back his lethargy. He struggled to sit up. "Call her, Hiro! Tell her I need to see her!"

"Oh, for heaven's sake, lay still, you idiot! You just got out of surgery." While Akira pressed his hands against Yuki's shoulders, he turned to look over his shoulder. "Oi, Hiro. Call Kagome before he hurts himself."

"Sure thing," Hiro said with a grin. He left the room, only to return a moment later... with Kagome.

Yuki lay against his pillows and blinked. "Kagome? You were already here?"

Nodding, Kagome came forward and sat down beside him, taking his hand in hers. "Yes. I told Hiro I would be here to visit you after he told me about your surgery. How are you feeling?" she asked, reaching over to brush the hair from his face.

"I'm... fine, now that you're here." Interlacing their fingers, his stared up at her from between half-closed eyelids. "You won't leave yet, will you? Stay with me, Kagome. I need you here with me." His lids began to droop. "You make me feel so much... better..."

She continued holding his hand as he drifted off to sleep. "Hiro?"

"Yes, love?"

Kagome turned to look at her friend, who sat, looking quite relaxed in the chair on the other side of Yuki's bed."Is it true? Did he really say he wanted me when he was a little boy?"

With a nod, Hiro grinned at her. He'd already told her what his mother had related to them. Kagome had been thoroughly taken aback at what he said. She and Yuki had played together as children... and she had never even known about it. "Yep, that's what mom said."

She turned back to stare down that the sleeping man beside her. "And that I couldn't keep my eyes off of him?" Her hand continued stroking his hair, tucking it back behind one perfectly-shaped ear.

It was Akira who laughed this time. "Well you _know_, Kagome, Yuki _is_ the prettiest man in Japan. I've seen a lot of people, men as well as women, who were unable to look away from him." He winked at her. "An innocent little girl would be no exception and most likely the most susceptible. But I'll bet he stared at you a lot, too. You _are_ very pretty."

"Akira-sama!" Kagome turned her flaming face from him.

"Oi! Down, boy! Sheesh..." Hiro shoved his cousin away from Kagome when he began inching forward.

To Kagome he said, "Are you okay? It seems that we have more than one molester in the Yamadera family, Kagome. I hope you won't hold it against the rest of us."

Kagome shook her head. "Akira-sama isn't a molester, Hiro. He's always treated me with respect and kindness."

"That's good. But sometimes I worry about him making you upset, darling. He's more like Yuki than he'd care to admit."

Akira snorted indelicately. "Oh please, Hiro. I'm _nothing_ like him. But thank you, Kagome. It's sweet of you to say such nice things about me." He approached her, shooing Hiro away before taking her free hand. "You know if it doesn't work out between you and blondie there, I'm more than available for you." He shot her a blinding smile and kissed her knuckles. "What do you say?" His green eyes narrowed and his gaze grew heated.

"I'd... kill you..."

Everyone jumped and stared wildly down at Yuki, whose angry, glittering emerald eyes never left his traitorous cousin's face. "Sorry there, Akira. Thought you were talking... to me..." Even though he was mostly out of it, Yuki still managed to allow the sarcasm to flow.

There was a tense, heavy silence for a long moment until Kagome leaned down to press a light kiss on Yuki's cheek. "He wasn't being serious, Yuki. Of course Akira-sama wouldn't _truly_ wish to date me."

The doctor smirked. He just couldn't resist making his cousin miserable. Lifting a hand, he rubbed his chin with in a thoughtful manner. "Well, actually, Kagome--"

With a scowl, Hiro jabbed his elbow into Akira's stomach. "Shut up, baka!" he hissed. "Don't get him started!"

"You bastard!" Yuki growled, once more struggling to sit up. "Hiro! Find my cane! Give me my damned cane so I can the beat the shit outta him!"

When he finally succeeded in righting himself, Kagome pressed her palms against his chest. His scowl vanished and he could only stare helplessly at her.

"Yuki, please lay down," she requested softly.

Yuki's green eyes widened a bit, the look in them softening. "But he wants to take you from me. I can't let him have you," he whispered, the panic in his voice forcing it to tremble.

Her hand came up to lay gently against his cheek. "Listen to me. Akira was only playing. Okay? He was teasing me, that's all." She gave him a sweet smile and rubbed her thumb lightly across his lips. "Now don't be upset, Yuki. I want you to lay back down and go back to sleep."

Listening to her soft, enchanting voice, Yuki felt all his anxiety dissipate, leaving him weak and powerless to fight her. "Okay, Kagome," he said, laying back down.

The other two men in the room watched in fascination as Kagome managed to calm Yuki down almost immediately. Both were then amused as Yuki stared at Kagome as though she had placed him under a spell for he had not hesitated to do as he was told.

"That's better," she said approvingly and got up to adjust his sheets. "Do you need another blanket, Yuki? It's rather cool in here."

Silently, he nodded but when she turned to leave, he grabbed her wrist. "Don't leave me."

Kagome allowed him to pull her back towards him, but she looked over at Akira and Hiro, who were both smiling like idiots. "Could either one of you get him another blanket, please?"

Akira nodded and straightened his lab coat. "Sure thing, Kagome, I'll get one. You know, it's nice to know that there's someone out there who's managed to be able to soothe my cousin's savage beast." He winked at her and left the room.

When he returned with the blanket, he found Hiro fussing at Yuki, who had managed to get a confused, yet unprotesting Kagome into bed with him and was stubbornly refusing to let her go. "What are you doing, Yuki?" Akira asked, his voice heavy with exasperation, spreading the blanket over the patient's legs.

Yuki glared up at Akira and reached down to pull the rest of the blanket up over the both of them. "I want her here with me. What's the problem with that?"

"Don't be a fool, Yuki! Kagome doesn't want to sleep in an uncomfortable hospital bed. Besides, she'll _have_ to leave when visiting hours are over."

"Like hell she will. I'll demand--"

Stifling a groan, Akira reached into his pocket and pulled out a syringe, all the while fixing a hard green gaze on Yuki's defiant face. "I don't think you're in a position to demand anything, Yuki." He uncapped the needle and allowed his relative a long hard look at the sharp, pointy object in his hand. "I can have this in your IV in a split second and you'll be asleep in under five minutes. Then what'll you do? You can't hold onto Kagome when you're out cold, now can you?"

Needless to say, Yuki did not take kindly to Akira's threat. Kagome, taking courage into her own hands, stepped in before things escalated into an all-out-brawl and once more coaxed the fretful man into a peaceful slumber.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Two weeks later while enjoying the late spring sunshine, Kagome was making her way across the shrine to see if her grandfather or Miroku needed any assistance, when a flash of golden hair in a nearby crowd gave her pause. Her heart was set to pounding when she recognized the color. Yuki's hair! He was here?

The fair head began to move away from the group of people who were silently praying at the shrine and Kagome brought a hand up to clutch at the shirt over her heart. She knew that color anywhere! It was Yuki, without a doubt!

But when yellow-haired person finally emerged, she saw that it was a woman instead. Kagome's face slid into a slight frown. The woman looked vaguely familiar to her. Who was she and why did she have the same color hair as Yuki? Were they related?

The woman turned and Kagome was struck by the woman's ethereal beauty. Her face was perfectly formed and ageless; her skin looked as smooth and as warm as ivory. She was tall and slim... and walking in Kagome's direction.

Kagome felt her mouth go dry. _Just who was this woman?_

When the woman walked right up to her, Kagome got a glimpse of her eyes. They were a soft shade of brown... so much like Hiro's.

"Y-yes? May I help you?"

The woman smiled at her and the young miko felt that she had just been blinded, so radiant was that smile.

"Kagome! How lovely to see you after so many years!" She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around the startled girl. When she pulled back, she cupped Kagome's face in her hands. "My boys have told me so much about you, my dear. I feel up-to-date with your life." Another smile and this time Kagome was graced with a light kiss on the forehead. "You have singlehandedly turned my beloved Yuki into a love-stricken puppy. I've never seen a man so in love before."

Kagome's eyes flew open and despite the blush fiercely staining her cheeks, she managed to gasp out, "You're Yuki's mother?"

Yuki's mother nodded and pulled Kagome into another warm, sweetly-scented embrace. "My name is Rini, since you've seem to forgotten, my dear girl and I'm here to see the woman who has stolen my son's heart." She sighed blissfully and squeezed Kagome tighter. "Although, in actuality, you stole it when the two of you were just children. Yuki was much too dense to realize it later on, the poor, darling boy. But now that he sees the light... oh, Kagome! I'll finally get some cute grandchildren!" She giggled like a schoolgirl, rocking the suffocating miko.

Buried against Rini's chest, Kagome's eyebrows twitched. "Eh?! Grandchildren? Wait!" she cried, trying desperately to free herself from the overenthusiastic Rini.

"Rini, my love, you're crushing the poor girl to death. How can she give us grandchildren if you kill her before that happens?"

Rini gasped and pulled back suddenly, leaving Kagome to pant for air. "Gomen nasai!" she cried, stricken. "Forgive me, Kagome!"

While Kagome was busy catching her breath, a large warm hand touched her shoulder. "Are you alright, my dear?"

Kagome turned to see a tall, nicely dressed man standing beside her. He was exceedingly handsome with short, wavy brown hair and piercing green eyes. A chord of recognition struck her and she gasped. "You're his father!"

Ryuji nodded and laughed heartily. "Have we changed that much, Higurashi-san? You never even recognized Rini."

"Sumimasen." Kagome hung her head sadly. "I should have realized it sooner. Please forgive me."

Now recovered, Rini was bubbling over with happiness. "No, my dear, think nothing of it. Oh, there's someone else here to see you." Taking Kagome's hand, she led her towards Goshinboku, the shrine's ageless tree.

Near the tree and out in the sunshine was a wooden bench. Upon that bench sat three people: two children and a grown man with shining golden hair. Kagome, Rini and Ryuji stood and watched as Yuki entertained the kids.

Rini leaned over to Kagome. "Those two little dears were separated from their parents and so Hiro went off to find them. Yuki agreed to stay with them until Hiro and the parents returned," Rini explained. She smiled and took Kagome's hand. "Let's go say hi. He's been dying to see you again."

As they approached, Kagome watched him intently, wondering when he would look up and see her. Almost immediately, his gaze went in search of her and when he found her, she discovered that her breath caught in her lungs.

Yuki's body straightened. With determination splashed all over his face, he grabbed his cane and got to his feet. His gaze never left her face.

He walked slowly over to her and it occurred to Kagome that he probably didn't even realize that she was standing between his parents. Certainly he didn't give any indication that he saw anyone but her.

"Kagome," he said softly. His yellow locks were ruffled by the breeze and his eyes seemed greener than she had remembered. He reached out and took her hand, giving it a little kiss on her knuckles. A tiny smile tilted the corners of his lips upwards. "You look beautiful, as always."

She had a vague feeling of his parents stepping away from her... or was Yuki pulling her to him? She didn't know, but it didn't seem to matter which was which when his free arm went about her waist and he leaned down to kiss her. Those eyes kept her from looking away or speaking... or basically just lose any independent thought she tried to have. His spell had returned in full force and she was powerless to stop it from entrancing her as it had done before on that rainy day in March.

As her eyes closed in ecstasy, she reached up to lay her hand against his sun-warmed cheek. He smelt incredible, like soap and aftershave and his lips felt like living satin as they slid delicately against hers. Time seemed to Kagome to have slowed to a stop and all she knew was him. He filled her entire world, her entire universe; she could feel him in every cell of her body, in every beat of her heart, in each breath that she drew. Something in her head called out to her, but she ignored it despite her better judgement.

She knew, without a doubt, that he was the one she would marry.

When he pulled away, time had regained itself and began to move forward. How long she had stood there, his arm around her, his lips against hers, she had no idea. Her eyes fluttered open to see him watching her intently. The look of want in his green eyes no longer shocked or surprised her; in fact she welcomed it, for she felt the same way about him.

"Yuki," she said softly, then paused, frowning. A feeling of... _something_... passed through her. It was not a particularily pleasant feeling.

"Kagome? What's wrong?" Yuki asked, his brows knitting together.

She shook her head and as she did so, she felt a familiar presence behind her and not long after that, a large hand grasped her shoulder. Upon that contact, she sighed with relief. Even without seeing his face, she could feel Miroku's soul rush up and wrap around hers.

"Kagome, I've been looking all over for you." Miroku let his hand slide down to hers and he grasped it tightly.

Even though he didn't say it, he didn't need to say it. Kagome knew that he had been terribly worried when her soul had not answered his when he called to her. She turned to the young monk and smiled at him. "I'm fine, Miroku. Forgive me for not answering your call."

Miroku's dark blue-eyed gaze slid over to where Yuki stood, looking confused. "It's fine," he reassured her. "I just had... a bad feeling. It's nothing."

A heavy, tension filled moment passed as the two men stood, glaring at each other. Kagome wondered if they remembered that they both were holding onto her.

But before she could say anything, yet another hand grabbed her and removed her from the other two men's clutches.

"Hey! Wake up, you guys! What are you thinking, Yuki? Miroku? Hey, I'm talking to you!" Hiro raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Yuki and Miroku both started and glared over at Hiro. "That's better. Now, if you both play nice, I'll give Kagome back to you. Deal?"

"Oh, darling! Let me have her!" cried Rini, rushing forward to hug Kagome again. "Kagome! Let me taking you shopping, okay? I want to buy you some pretty dresses and--"

Ryuji groaned good-naturedly. "Rini, my love, _do_ leave the poor girl alone. Let Yuki be alone with her for awhile, okay?"

Rini's blond head jerked up. She pouted. "But Ryu! I've always wanted a daughter and since she's going to be my daughter-in-law anyway... Can't we start the bonding process early?" Her large brown eyes batted appealingly at her husband.

"Mom!" cried Hiro, blushing furiously. He didn't know why _he_ was blushing, but he figured that since Yuki wouldn't be embarrassed by their mother's straighforwardness, he might as well be for the both of them. "Kagome hasn't said yes yet!"

"Ah! If you say it like that, then that must mean that Yuki has asked her. Am I correct, my dear?"

Kagome, whose face was once more buried against Rini's chest, nodded. Rini released her and she looked up into the fair woman's beautiful face. _Yuki's face._

"I... I'm not ready to get married, Rini-san. I'm a miko for my family shrine and that is all I see for myself right now." Guilt swept over her when she saw Rini's face fall and for one horrifying second, she imagined both Kouga and Sesshoumaru looking exactly like that. She'd already witnessed Kouga's upset when he told her he knew Yuki had kissed her. She didn't want to go through that again. "I'm sorry! I just... I can't!" Kagome cried and ran away. Miroku took off after her.

"Wait, Kagome!" Rini called out. She was visibly upset. Turning to her husband, she asked, "What did I say, Ryu? Did I say something wrong?"

Hiro came forward and took his mother by the arms. "No, mom, it was nothing you said. Kagome... well, she's been under alot of stress this past year. She's had to deal with three different men who all want to marry her and--" He stopped short and shot a look at his brother, whose eyes glittered with fury-filled curiosity. Hiro had forgotten that Yuki had no clue about the other two wanting to marry Kagome.

"What was that you said, _my dear brother_?" Yuki asked in angry, clipped tones. He moved forward slowly, eyes slitted.

But Hiro was saved from saying anything when his mother went to Yuki and threw her arms around him. "My poor, poor baby! Just don't give up on her, okay? She'll say yes, I know she will." She looked up into his tight face and gave her little boy a sweet smile. "I saw that kiss, my darling. She loves you; anybody could see that, and with the way she kissed you back, it left no doubt in _my_ mind."

Yuki caressed his mother's face. "Oh, I don't plan on giving up on Kagome. After all, didn't I say that she was mine? I _always_ get what I want, mom."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Miroku finally caught up with her when she ducked into her grandfather's house. As he followed her inside, he could feel her sadness. It wrapped around him like a cloak.

Unerringly, he dashed upstairs and went straight to the room closest the top of the stairs. He knocked on the door and went in without waiting for an answer. Closing the door behind him, he went to her and sat down beside her on the bed. His hand took hers while his arm went around her shoulders.

"You love him."

Keeping her face averted, Kagome nodded.

"You're falling in love with him."

Again, she nodded.

Miroku sighed heavily. "I don't want you to marry him, Kagome."

Her body tensed, but she did not look at him. "Why not?" she asked quietly.

Miroku's arm tightened about her. "When I saw the two of you sharing that kiss, I felt as though something bad would happen if you were to wed him."

This time, she turned to face him. "Like what?"

He shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I knew that I didn't like the feeling. It was... bad. That's all I can tell you."

"How come I couldn't sense that?"

"I don't know, baby." He let go of her hand and reached up to gently stroke her cheek with his fingertips. "When you were kissing him, I called out to you, but you were so wrapped up in the moment that my call went unheeded. Maybe you allowed your feelings for him to block your foresight."

Kagome said nothing and Miroku pulled her to him into a warm embrace. "I want you to promise me that the moment you feel something amiss, call out to me. Okay? Promise me, little one."

"I promise," she said against his chest. Her arms went around his waist and she clung to him.

"But take your time in choosing a husband, Kagome. Personally, I'd rather you marry Kouga. That guy has completely changed for the better. He's actually pretty likeable now. You did a good job of turning him around, him _and_ his boys. A year ago, I'd never have thought they were the same people." He chuckled softly.

She laughed along with him then asked, "What about Sesshoumaru? What's wrong with me marrying him?"

"He's your step-brother, sweetie. You sort of grew up as brother and sister. Don't you think it would feel a bit weird knowing that he is your husband?"

"I don't know, Miroku. He may be my step-brother, but I see him more as my caretaker, protector and friend. I know full well that the the ties between us are not blood. But even so, he _is_ my guardian and you may be right. It might feel weird if I became his wife, but not in the manner you think."

Miroku's arms tightened. "I know. You are worried because of his status. I can imagine it would be difficult, despite being his ward, for you to slip into the role of his wife. I hate to say it, but his lifestyle is far different from yours. That's why I would feel more comfortable if you married Kouga instead. He loves you without restraint, he can protect you without fail, and his social status is such that you would have no need to go through such drastic changes as you would if you were to wed Sesshoumaru. There would be no high expectations, no standards by which you must conduct yourself. I hope I've made Kouga's case for him," he finished with a sigh.

"He didn't pay you to say all that, did he?" Kagome retorted with a chuckle.

"What? No, no, no! I just like the guy, that's all. Kouga's really a terrific guy, Kagome. You should seriously think about him as a potential mate. Yuki is, at best, unreliable."

"How so?"

"What if his memory comes back? Knowing him as you do, what do you think he would do if he suddenly remembered that night? Besides, from what you've told me, he still gets terribly jealous over any man who shows an interest in you. I'm telling you, the man is dangerous. I'd feel better if you didn't see him anymore."

Kagome pushed away from Miroku and got to her feet, but Miroku rose with her and grabbed her by the arms, turning her to face him. "I know you don't see it, Kagome, but you must trust me. Something bad will happen if you marry him." His face was grim and without thinking, he angrily allowed his soul to overcome hers. "He'll hurt you, Kagome! I can't let that happen to you, don't you see?"

"Stop!" She struggled in his grasp, trying to free herself. "Stop it!" she cried, eyes filling with tears. "You're suffocating me!" He released her and she fell back, clutching at her chest. "Don't... do that again!"

Miroku stood still, watching her cry silently on the bedroom floor. He wanted to tell her that everything would be alright. But it would be a lie. There was no way he could tell her what his mind's eye had shown him.

_Yuki... his face mottled with rage... the long scar on the side of his face, a bright, ugly red. Glass... glass everywhere... and blood... _

_And in the center of it all..._

Kagome bowed her head and sniffed, wiping her eyes with the backs of her hands. Miroku gritted his teeth. That bastard Yuki would try to destroy her...

"You know I love you. I would do anything for you," he said, kneeling before her. He took her hands in his and pressed them against his chest.

She looked up at him and saw how grim his face was. "Miroku...?"

"Hate me if you must, but I will never approve of his taking you as his wife. I couldn't bear it if he stole my soul's twin from me. Again I say, _do not marry this man_."

Her eyes regarded him for a long moment, then she graced him with a small smile. "I have not yet said yes, beloved. I appreciate your feelings, but ultimately it's up to me, isn't it?"

He nodded and sighed heavily. "I won't like it, but if that is what you choose to do, I'll support you."

As she reached over to hug him, Miroku squeezed his eyes shut, his arms going around her. There was no way he'd let her be with that monster...


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Chapter 20

When Kagome and Miroku emerged from the house, they saw a very worried-looking Rini coming towards them.

"Kagome? Are you okay?" She rushed up to the miko, but refrained from touching her, although it was pretty obvious that she really wanted to. "I hope you'll forgive me for what I said earlier. I'm afraid I always tend to 'jump the gun', as they say." She shot Kagome a rueful smile. "But you know, I _love_ the thought of you becoming part of our family. We all adore you."

Kagome blushed brightly at Rini's kind words. She was such a sweet woman with an aura that told Kagome she had a pure soul. There was not an ounce of nastiness in her. "You're very kind, Rini-san. Thank you."

It was Rini's turn to blush and she giggled adorably. "Oh, Kagome! You're so cute!" she burst out and pounced on Kagome.

Miroku, silently watching the proceedings, wasn't sure if he should laugh or help Kagome out of her predicament. In the end, he did both. Chuckling heartily, he took hold of one of Rini's hands and bowed over it. "Hello, my name is Miroku. I'm a monk here at this shrine."

Rini's brown eyes studied him for a moment. "Hm. So I see, houshi-sama." Her eyes narrowed cooly. "You don't wish for Kagome to marry _you_, do you? Because I won't have it, do you hear?"

Clearly, Miroku did not expect this disdainful reaction and he nearly recoiled from her. "Ah! No ma'am, I don't wish to marry Kagome. I'm already engaged to another young lady. Kagome and I are merely friends." He bestowed one of his sincerest-looking smiles on her.

Rini sighed with relief and smiled back at him. "Well, that's very good, I must say. Now please wipe that insincere smile from your face, young man. I may come across as a silly female, but I know about men and their little tricks to try to bypass female intuition. Why, my own darling husband used to be one of those slick, player-types back in his day." Rini turned on a very stunned Miroku with a gimlet eye. "Ryu crumbled the moment he realized he couldn't put his bullshit past me."

Looking at Kagome, who had finally caught her breath, she said fondly, "Yuki was the same way for years. Yes, Hiro kept us informed of how our eldest son behaved. Yuki was just like his father, only worse. There was no one to make him behave, no one to show him what love was."

Reaching out, she brushed Kagome's hair back over her shoulders. "Then you came back into his life. I know he was a horrible little beast to you, my dear. I put him through the wringers for doing that to you. Just because he didn't remember who you were was no excuse for acting that way towards you."

She sighed, her hands straying to Kagome's clothing to straighten it. "But now... he acts like a gentleman. It's as if he's a completely different man now, and it's all thanks to you." Rini's gaze settled on the girl's face. "He's not only changed because of you... he's changed _for_ you. Yuki wants to be good enough for you to accept him as your husband."

Kagome was moved. How could she _not_ be, hearing a loving mother's earnest plea on her son's behalf?

But Miroku was little pleased with it, Kagome could tell. His aura pulse madly; his soul wrapped around hers in a protective gesture. When Kagome opened her mouth to tell him to stop, she saw the reason why he had done so.

Yuki was making his way towards them. The dark, set look that covered his exquisite face was aimed not at her, but at Miroku. Naturally, Miroku would react this way, seeing as how he was the only one who wanted her to have nothing to do with Yuki.

Kagome shut her eyes for a second. _'I haven't said yes, yet,'_ she reminded him silently.

There was a surge of anger from the monk as Yuki came forward to claim her hand. _'But you will,'_ he shot back in her mind, before turning and walking away.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

At Rini's insistence, Kagome changed into her street clothes so they could all go out to eat. They went to a really nice restaurant, so naturally, Kagome felt uncomfortable. Hiro tried to tell his mother that Kagome was unaccustomed to eating in places like this, but Rini pooh-poohed that. A sweet girl like Kagome should have the very best, she told him, shooting a wink at the miko.

Yuki glared at Hiro throughout the meal for holding Kagome's hand, but finally realized that it was good that Hiro was so close to her. As soon as they entered the restaurant, Kagome automatically fled from his side to Hiro's, her hand grabbing his in a death grip. Yuki noticed that his parents had seen this, but they said nothing, which only served to piss him off even more. But then he saw how she trembled, her face buried against his brother's shoulder and he was reminded of that time in _Netsu_ when he found her with Hiro. They seemed so close even though she had pushed away from him to move to the far end of the seat... and when he had pulled her to him, she went willingly.

Watching them now, he couldn't help but wish it was he to whom she turned when she was frightened. But he supposed it couldn't be helped. Kagome had almost always turned to Hiro for comfort and he was the most familiar face around her. He couldn't fault her for that.

All the same... he wanted her to come to him, and not Hiro.

Beside him, his mother flashed him a knowing smile and a wink. Her hand went out and grasped his as it lay on the table beside his plate.

Later, after they had dropped Kagome off back at the shrine, Rini pulled her eldest son aside. "Dearest, you shouldn't dislike your brother so much."

"He was holding her hand practically the whole time," Yuki muttered sulkily. "What if she needs him more than she needs me? I refuse to be pushed aside for _him_."

"She hasn't pushed you aside, Yuki." Rini laughed softly and pulled his head down so she could kiss him on the cheek. "You were so busy glowering at Hiro that you never even noticed."

Yuki's brows slid downwards. "Noticed what?"

Rini's smile broadened. "My precious love. My dear, sweet boy. Kagome couldn't keep her eyes off of you."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sesshoumaru was waiting Kagome when she returned home. The moment she opened the door, he was there, arms wide open. She smiled up at her guardian and went to him, allowing him to hold her tightly.

"I missed you today," he murmured against her hair. "You've come back late today. What happened?"

Kagome took his hand and led him to the living room where they sat down on her sofa. She curled up against him and sighed. "Hiro and Yuki came by the shrine today. They brought their mother and father to see me."

He frowned. "Why?"

"Apparently, his mother and and my mother were friends. Yuki, Hiro and I played together as children. Or rather, Yuki and I could only play together as long as Hiro wasn't around." She went on to tell him what Hiro had told her.

When she had finished, Sesshoumaru lay back against the sofa cushions, watching her. "That far back, huh?" He grunted. "I don't like him, Kagome."

She groaned. "Oh, no, not you too."

"What do you mean, not me too?"

Kagome shook her head. "It's nothing. Are you hungry? I can make you something if you like."

Sesshoumaru pulled her up against him. "It's something. What did you mean?"

"Only that... Miroku doesn't like him, either."

A satisfied grin crept over his face. "I'm glad I'm not alone in my thinking. There's something wrong with that guy. I really distrust him." When she opened her mouth to say something, he shook his head and kissed her swiftly. "Marry me, Kagome." His voice was urgent as his lips pressed light kisses along her cheek and down to her throat. "I want you, you know that. Forget him and marry me."

"Sesshoumaru, I..."

Again she hesitated. Nothing had changed. He sighed and moved her away from him. "I'm sorry, Kagome. I didn't mean to do that." Getting to his feet, he turned his back to her. "I should go."

"What? Why?"

His shoulders heaved and he turned around to face her. Kagome stared up at him, puzzled... until her gaze dropped to his crotch. Startled by what she saw, her eyes flew open. "Oh!" she cried, clapping her hand over her mouth. Quickly, she turned away. "I'm sorry! Um... do you need to... um... go upstairs? Take a cold shower?"

"May I be honest with you?"

"Certainly."

His amber eyes glowed with desire. "I want to make love to you," he said without hesitation.

"Oh." Her heart began to pound like thunder in her chest, but she wished it was Yuki saying those words to her. She loved it when he was so intense and passionate; she loved the way he made her feel drawn to him. And those amazing green eyes of his could turn her world upside down without him saying a word.

Sesshoumaru moved forward and resumed his seat beside her. "I need you, Kagome." His hand began rubbing lightly on her back. "I'm perfectly prepared to wait for you, but I had to let you know what you do to me."

"You've already showed me that," she said weakly, wishing he wouldn't touch her like that while she was thinking of another man. She felt bad enough already for pushing him away.

"Then you know how you affect me."

But all she could see was a pair of soft green eyes in her mind's eye. "I wish I could help you, Sesshoumaru."

"You just don't want me in that way."

She hung her head, guilt-ridden. "I'm sorry. I just... I..."

He shook his head. "Don't say anything, darling. Just know that I love you unconditionally. But personally, if you were to marry anyone other than me, I'd like it to be Kouga instead."

Kagome stared at Sesshoumaru as though he'd grown a second head. "Huh?"

Sesshoumaru nodded and gave her a sad smile. "He loves you alot, Kagome, and he's a good man. I know I could rest easy knowing he was the one taking care of my baby girl. But I hope it never comes to that. I'd make you a good husband, Kagome."

"Yes, I know you would."

"Then what do I need to do? Hm? I'll do anything to have you. _Anything._"

Before she could answer him, the doorbell rang shrilly and the front door opened. "Kagome? Are you home?" Kouga came into the living room... and paused in mid-step when he saw the other occupant of the room. "Oh, there you, Kagome. What's up, Sesshoumaru?"

Kagome, face burning, got up from the couch and crossed the room over to where Kouga stood in the doorway. He was holding a breathtaking bouquet of lilies. He smiled as she walked up to him and held them out to her. "Here, I saw these and I thought you'd like them." His blue eyes lit up when she took them from him and sniffed them delicately.

"They're beautiful, Kouga, thank you." She smiled up at him, all the while fighting the tears that threatened to spill over. No matter what should happen, she would always adore this man, this black-haired Adonis who loved her so much. It was a lovely feeling, having a man worship so openly at her feet.

"You're welcome," was his reply. He reached out and ran a finger along the side of her face. "I love lilies. They remind me of you."

She ducked her head and ran off to the kitchen to find a vase for her flowers. As soon as she was gone, Kouga walked into the living room.

"Oi, what's wrong? Oh." His blue gaze had swept over Sesshoumaru once and he chuckled. "Pitchin' a tent, huh? Man, I've never seen you like _that_. What happened? She shoot you down?"

"Silence. We have a problem here, Matsuno."

"No, _you_ have the problem, Morikawa," Kouga snickered. "You really should take a cold shower to take care of that--"

"Shut up. That's not what I meant."

Kouga shrugged and went over to sit on the loveseat next to Sesshoumaru's couch. "Tell me. What's the problem, then?"

Sesshoumaru's upper lip curled back. "Yamadera Yuki." He crossed his legs.

The other man froze, his blue eyes hardening. "Oh, yes? What about him? What's he done?"

A muscle twitched in Sesshoumaru cheek. "He brought his parents to meet Kagome today." Seeing the distressed look crossing Kouga's face, Sesshoumaru nodded. "Yes, I know. That's what I thought. He's very clever. No doubt he has reconciled with his parents and had his mother make a plea on his behalf."

"He did, actually."

"What?" Sesshoumaru scowled. "How do you know?"

Kouga returned the scowl. "Because Miroku called me. That's why I came over. He told me that Yuki's mom tried making his case for him. Apparently, she did a good job." His face softened and he dropped his gaze to his hands which lay on his lap. "But... Miroku said that he told Kagome that if she should marry anyone, he'd like it to be me." His shining blue gaze jumped to Sesshoumaru's face. "I couldn't believe he would defend me like that."

"I could. Anyway, what was her response?"

Kouga shot Sesshoumaru a grateful smile, then shrugged. "It doesn't matter, really. Miroku told me that she's falling in love with him." He looked away. "I don't know what I forgot to do, but apparently I missed doing something that I should have done. Or maybe I did too much? Well, however it was, I went wrong somewhere." His hand slid up to his neck and he hooked a finger around the slim gold chain that lay against his chest. He tugged slightly and it came out from under his shirt. A ring was hanging upon it.

"What's that?" Sesshoumaru asked softly, already knowing what it was.

Shaking his head, Kouga slid the ring onto his index finger, but it barely went past the cuticle of his fingernail. "Just the engagement ring I bought her. Like I said, it doesn't matter anymore. I don't know why I keep it. I guess I'll always have hope that she'd want to be with me. Pretty stupid, huh?"

At the sound of her approaching footsteps, Kouga quickly tucked the ring and chain back under his shirt. She came into the room, carefully holding her flowers and vase. "They're amazing, Kouga!" she cried happily, and sat it down on her coffee table. She stepped back to admire them, her eyes shining. Turning to Kouga, she gave him a brilliant smile. "Thank you so much!"

Kouga smiled back at her and Sesshoumaru could see the hurt in his eyes. "You're very welcome, Kagome. I'm happy you like them."

"Like them?" She giggled. "I love them, silly!" Then after realizing that both men were staring hard at her, her face turned red. "Um... I should go change my clothes. Excuse me." She fled up the stairs.

Silence weighed down on the men in the living room for a few moments. Then Sesshoumaru spoke up. "If it makes any difference to you, I told her that if she were to marry anyone, it should be you."

"Huh?" Kouga looked over at his companion, startled. "Why would you say that? I thought you hated me."

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "I've seen how you treat her and I've seen how happy you've made her. Its glaringly obvious that you're in love with her and I know, without a doubt, that if _he_ wasn't in the picture, it would be you she would choose to spend her life with."

"Sesshoumaru--"

Sesshoumaru put up a hand. "Silence! I don't want her to marry that man and I know you definitely don't want her to marry him, so give me a few days and I'll come up with a plan to get rid of him."

"I could help you with that, Sesshoumaru. Remember? I work for him. It won't bother me to tell any of his secrets. He's hurt Kagome too many times for me to give a shit what happens to him."

The two men stared at each other wordlessly as they waited for Kagome to return.

Later, before Kouga took his leave, he pulled a letter out of his back pocket and left it on her coffee table next to the vase of flowers. On his way out to his motorcycle, he hoped that she would think over what she was most likely going to do. He'd written it earlier, just after Miroku had called him.

_'Please,'_ he thought wretchedly, feeling his heart break all over again, _'let her realize that I'm better for her. Please, Kami-sama...'_

He sat outside for awhile, thinking.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

After they both departed, Kagome saw a folded piece of paper propped up against the vase of lilies. She opened it and read the letter with a heavy heart. Kouga... that wonderful, sweet man! As the tears spilled down her cheeks, she noticed that he'd neglected to date his letter.

She chuckled softly. He always did that with any correspondence, she thought fondly, rereading it. If Yuki hadn't gone after her, she would undoubtedly still be with Kouga. In a way, she almost wished he hadn't pursued her. She truly loved Kouga. _She loved him._ But Yuki... there was just something more with him.

Going upstairs, after reading it once more, she lay it on her dresser, face up and admired it. It was a love letter. She'd never received a love letter before.

After taking a quick shower, knock came from below. Kagome turned and she could hear a key in the lock turn. "Kagome!"

It was Kouga.

Letting her hair down from from her hair clip, she came out onto the landing and looked down. Kouga was standing at the foot of the stairs, staring up at her.

"Kouga? What's wrong?"

His eyes narrowed. He shook his head slowly and began mounting the steps. "I don't give a damn about him, Kagome, but I'm not going to let you go without a fight." When he reached her, she saw that his eyes were lit up like bright blue flames. Without a word, he rushed forward and pinned her against the wall, taking her lips ruthlessly with his.

She gasped, but did not fight him. In truth, she missed his kisses and the feel of those powerful arms around her. When his mouth moved away from hers and back towards her ear, she felt like she could turn to jelly at any moment.

He carried her into her room and lay her down on the bed, before lowering himself gently on top of her. "If you think I'm going to back away because you love some other guy, you're completely mistaken," he growled angrily at her. "He doesn't deserve you. He doesn't deserve you _at all._ You are my world, little girl. _My entire fuckin' world_."

Warm drops fell on her face but she didn't bother wiping them away. She deserved this and she knew it. She needed to feel pain because he was feeling pain. How dare she make Kouga cry like this? How could she think of herself when he was hurting?

"I love you," he whispered as the anger vanished and his face contorted with anguish. "I never knew love was so painful, but even if I'd known beforehand just what torture it could be, I'd go through it anyway. Do you know why? Because I need you. I need you to love me. I've never had a mother, the one woman who'd love me no matter what I did, no matter who I became. And then I found you and I knew you could be that one woman to me. You were everything, damn it... _everything _I needed and so much more." His eyes became slits and his lips pulled back from his teeth. "I will be _damned_ if I let you get away from me."

Kagome wasn't frightened. How could she be, when all she felt from him was love. _Love for her._ It radiated out of him from everywhere and it comforted her. "Kouga," she began quietly, her hand moving up to touch his face, "I don't know how I know this, but... one day, I'll have need of you. I don't know in what capacity, but I do know that it will be of the utmost importance."

His face relaxed somewhat and she wiped away his tears. "Nothing has happened yet, Kouga. I'm still free and just because I feel strongly towards this man, it doesn't mean I love you any less."

Kouga dropped his head down to her neck. "Then why does it feel like I'm losing you?" he whispered brokenly against her skin.

Burying her hands in his cool, silken hair, she held him to her. "I don't know," she admitted with a shake of her head. "I wish I did."

"You'll end up with him, won't you?" There was a muffled sob and he collapsed on top of her. "Please don't leave me. Please..."

She held him for a long time, whispering to him that she loved him and how much he meant to her. He rolled to the side of her and pulled her with him, his arms wrapped around her and held her, keeping his face against her throat. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep. For a moment, she blushed when she felt his lips move downwards against her chest in his sleep, but she got over it. It felt nice to have him so close like this.

Smiling into his hair, she pressed a kiss against his head before allowing her eyes to close. But... only for a moment...

oooooooooo

_Soft movements somewhere near her feet woke her from her slumber. It was dark. She felt her eyes open but it was so dark in her room... and her arms were empty. _

_"Kouga? Where are you?" she called out softly, feeling a little hurt. Had he left without saying goodbye? _

_But the movements continued and the rest of her body woke with a jolt when she realize her legs were spread rather wide. A large pair of hands were gripping her hips and... What was that feeling between her legs? Something hot and wet was holding her down... making her feel..._

_With cry, she flung back the blanket that covered her and put her hands out in the direction of that weird feeling between her thighs. Her fingers came in contact with a familiar feeling of cool silken hair running through her fingers... Kouga! _

_"Kouga? What are you doing?" she yelped, panicking. Oh god, whatever it was felt so... so... incredible! Her hands instinctively gripped his hair in order to keep him anchored to her._

_He said nothing, but pushed her back down on the bed and began to hum. The vibrations drove her body wild and Kagome screamed his name as sensations she'd never knew existed exploded inside her. _

_Then, feeling somewhere in same category as a jellyfish, she continued to pant hard as the world righted itself. _

_She passed out._

oooooooo

Kagome woke with a start. It was dark and she could feel a hot mass of body in her arms. She leaned forward a bit and sniffed. It was Kouga; she could tell by the shampoo he used.

Even though it was cool in the room, she felt herself sweating like crazy. What had just happened? Kouga was in the same position as before; his lips were in the same spot on her chest and his breathing was deep and even.

Silently, she gave off a sigh of relief. It had been nothing more than a dream. There was no blanket on her, either. Duh, Kagome! Of course it was a dream.

Oh well, it may have only been a dream, but what a dream!

After pressing another kiss on his head, she fell asleep again, feeling gloriously contented.

ooo

Her breathing had finally deepened.

Kouga grinned into the dark, licking his lips. She had been delicious; even more so than he could have imagined.

As he lay with his head against her, listening to her little heart beat gently, he relaxed and enjoyed just being with her. For once in his life, he was thankful he'd been an assassin. They had the ability to move around, in the light or the dark, without making a sound. Of course, he'd had to move about a bit to wake her up, but after that, he just sat back and enjoyed those exquisite sounds she made. Sounds that _he_ caused her to make...

He almost chuckled when he'd removed the blanket and stuffed it back in her closet where he found it. The poor girl, when she woke up, would think it had been a just a dream, for she knew as well as he did that there had been no blanket to begin with.

When he resumed his position in her arms once more, he couldn't help but shiver with passion. She had called out _his_ name... not Yuki's. That had to count for something, right?

"I love you," he whispered to her, then let his eyes close.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A few days later, Kouga got a call from Sesshoumaru. He and his boys went to Morikawa's office and were immediately shown in.

"What's up?" Kouga asked as the three of them took a seat in front of the silver-haired man's desk.

"I've figured out a way to keep her away from him, at least for awhile. It'll keep her busy."

"And that is?" asked Ginta, crossing his arms over his chest.

A satisfied smirk crossed Sesshoumaru's face. "Parties."

"Huh?"

"I've been thinking that it was time to have my associates all come together. You know, improve relations between my company and other companies. It'd be great for business."

One of Kouga's eyebrows slid upwards in disbelief. "Great for business? But you own like, all of Tokyo, don't you?"

Sesshoumaru let loose a hearty laugh. "Don't be ridiculous, Matsuno. I only own half of Tokyo. Now listen up." He leaned forward. "As host of these parties, I would need a hostess, would I not?"

Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku all looked at each other and nodded. Satisfied, Sesshoumaru sat back against his leather seat. "And as the only female in my family, Kagome must naturally stand by my side and play hostess for me."

"But Sesshoumaru, you know she's terrified of things like that," Kouga remarked quietly. "I don't know how you'll convince her to--"

Golden eyes narrowed slyly. "That," began Sesshoumaru, "will be _your_ job. Not even Hiro has gotten her to open up to the world as you have done. You will be beside her every step of the way; even take her shopping if necessary. She'll need new dresses for these galas I'm throwing and I know your taste in clothing is excellent."

"So... basically what you're saying is that you want me to step into Hiro's place?" Kouga tried his best not to look _too_ hopeful.

"Correct. But I won't have you living with her."

Kouga didn't bother hiding his disappointment.

Sesshoumaru grinned at the man. "Sorry, I trust you with her, but not _that_ much. If you were to give into your desires, I'd have to have you banished from Japan and I'm pretty certain you wouldn't enjoy that. You will behave properly with her, I know. You usually have. Anyway, I want the three of you to come work for me."

"Are you kidding?" Hakkaku burst out, but was instantly silenced by his brother's and Kouga's glares. "Sorry."

"I never kid, young man. If the three of you are to watch over my precious girl, I want you to be comfortable doing so and not feel as though you need to look over your shoulders. I'll pay you more than what Yuki pays you, if that's alright with you."

Eagerly, Hakkaku jumped up, but Ginta's hand shot out and yanked him back down to his chair. Kouga shot the youngest Kawase brother a look, then nodded. "Yes, that will be fine. Um, we also have a share in Yuki's club, the _Netsu._ We'd lose it once he found out we left."

Sesshoumaru waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about that. I have a proposition for you." Reaching out, he pressed a button on his phone. "Send Inuyasha up to see me."

A few minutes later, the office doors opened and Inuyasha stepped through. "Hey, what's going on?" His gaze slid over to where Kouga sat and he scowled. "Kouga," he said curtly.

"Inu," returned Matsuno stiffly, turning his back on the newcomer.

"What do you need, Sess? I was busy working."

"For once. Anyway, I was about to tell these gentlemen that you were thinking of purchasing a nightclub downtown. Perhaps they would like to become your partners?"

Inuyasha cocked his head to the side and regarded his brother thoughtfully, before turning his attention to the other three in the room. "I see. Would you be interested in going into business with me?"

Kouga rose to his feet. "Possibly. How will the profits be split?"

"Well, since there would be four of us... a quarter each, obviously. I'm not a greedy man, you know and I don't really need the money. I just wanted to own a club for the experience. Sesshoumaru says it would be good for me to learn something on my own."

Kouga shrugged. "Sure, I don't mind as long as Sesshoumaru is going to watch our backs. We don't want to get stiffed."

"Keh, like I'd do something so low. But just so you know, I've already picked out a name."

"Let's hear it."

Inuyasha grinned. "_Kaze no kizu_. Catchy, huh? I just sort of came up with it one day while looking at dad's sword collection."

"Wound of the wind, huh? Nice." Kouga turned to his boys. "What do you think, lads? Does it sound good to you?"

The Kawase brothers nodded in unison, both giving the thumbs up sign.

"Then it's settled." Sesshoumaru leaned back in his chair. "Now, about these parties..."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

It was finally decided that Kagome would need to have a hand in ordering the catering and she would need to oversee the wait staff. Sesshoumaru and Kouga both felt that it would be good for her to learn such things, as it would give the young woman some confidence.

As expected, Kagome was extremely distraught at hearing the tasks set before her. But she dare not back down from her duty. She knew that as Sesshoumaru was unmarried and that she was the only female relation to him, it was her job to act as hostess, to stand by his side and greet his guests.

But when it was first laid out to her, she fainted into Kouga's arms. Kouga held her until she recovered then told her that he would be by her side the entire time. Weakly, she nodded, her face pale. She would do it if he stayed with her, she told her step-brother.

And so it was that Kagome began her training to be a hostess. She had hardly any time to dedicate to the shrine, but her grandfather and Miroku were more than happy to see her take some time off to do something else.

Kouga was with her through the whole process, helping her along when she nearly broke down and cried. He continually told praised her work, but Kagome was less than happy with the results. Everything, she felt, was completely wrong. Kouga only shook his head and told her that she was doing just fine. Kagome took his word for it and kept on doing what she was doing.

On the day of the first party, Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku took her out shopping for an evening gown. The one they chose was an ivory and gold affair with a small train; they being Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku. Kagome was far too nervous to know what looked good on her and what didn't.

As soon as Kouga saw her emerge from the dressing room with it on, he had to force in a breath. "Kagome," he breathed, eyes wide, "you are so... beautiful."

She blushed and checked herself in the mirror. "Don't lie, Kouga. It looks... okay."

He came to stand behind her and gripped her shoulders. "I would never lie when it came to you, Kagome. You look amazing in this dress." His hands slid down her arms to her waist and he pulled her back against him. "You look good enough to eat," he said, licking his lips while his eyes burned into hers through the mirror.

She melted into his embrace and finally, bought the gown.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The first party was a huge success. Kagome received many compliments on her gown and how well the wine flowed, not to mention the deliciousness of the food that was served.

When Sesshoumaru told her that the next party would be in a few days, Kagome was ready to take on the challenge with Kouga and his boys by her side.

Meanwhile, Yuki grew restless. He knew of the party that Sesshoumaru had thrown. Indeed, he had been invited. When he saw Kagome standing at Sesshoumaru's side, he thought only of how lovely she looked in her ivory-tinted gown. His eyes slid over to the host, who turned suddenly and smiled at him. That smile was triumphant ... and calculating. Yuki had the feeling that Sesshoumaru was sending him a message.

_'You can't take her,'_ Morikawa's mind seemingly whispered to him._ 'She belongs to me.'_

Yuki snarled, his hand closing tightly around the handle of his cane. Like hell she did!

But everytime he tried to get close to her, Sesshoumaru managed to move her farther and farther away from him. After chasing Kagome for a few hours, Yuki left the party in a furious state. The bastard had done that on purpose!

Well, no matter, he'd get even somehow...

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Chapter 21

Over the next several days, Yuki tried getting in contact with Kagome, but he was never able to get her on the phone. She would call him back and leave messages, but he could never get a chance to talk to her. A few times while he was out and about with his mother, Yuki saw Kagome out with a tall, white-haired man. He tried to see which Morikawa male it was; Inuyasha or Sesshoumaru. But he was never given an satisfactory answer; he never saw the other man's face, although from the way he dressed, it could have been either one.

However, the last time he had seen her with the mysterious pale man, he and his mother were having lunch at her favorite French restaurant. After Kagome and her companion had finished eating, the man scooped her up into his arms and held her tenderly against him. She smiled sweetly up at him before he took her by the hand and led her away.

Only the gentle touch of his mother's hand on his stopped him from going over there to raise hell. "Be patient, my love," she whispered. "That man won't take her from you."

"He's trying! Can't you see? He wants her for himself!"

"She loves you, Yuki. You shouldn't worry so." Clasping his hand in hers, Rini chuckled. She raised his hand to her cheek and brushed it against her face.

Yuki's cheeks reddened. "Mom!" he murmured, embarrassed. "What are you doing?"

Rini grinned. "I've missed you, you naughty boy. I have so many years of your life to catch up on. Surely you won't begrudge an old woman time to reconnect with her son." She let go of his hand and patted his arm.

He rolled his eyes. "Mother, you're not old. Far from it. Now don't call yourself old anymore. I don't like it."

"Well, I don't like seeing you mope around all day." She eyed his plate disparagingly. "And you really need to eat more, darling. I'll not have you wasting away before your wedding night. A woman needs something to hold onto while in the throes of ecstasy," she told him placidly as she speared some salad with her fork and ate it delicately.

His face grew redder. "Oh my god, mom, do you _mind_?"

"No, not a bit. If there's one thing I've learned in life, its that a man with meat on his bones is a hell of a lot sexier than a man who's only bones. I mean, look at your father. There isn't a sexier man alive, I tell you. He's an animal in bed too, when it comes to that."

_"Stop that!"_ Yuki was so horrified that he had to bring his hands up to cover his flaming face. "Please! No more! I can't take anymore!"

Laughter burbled out of Rini's throat. "But angel, don't you see? Wouldn't you _love_ to have your wife talk about you that way?"

Green eyes peered tentatively out through the gaps between his long, slender fingers. "Well, of course I would, but..."

"But what? Oh, don't act so modest, Yuki. Modesty doesn't become you, darling."

"Huh? I can be modest!" he announced rebelliously.

Firmly, his mother shook her head. "You don't have an ounce of modesty in your entire body, Yuki. You're far too brazen for your own good." She lay her fork down and eyed him shrewdly. "Eat! Or I'll call that sweet young woman and tell her to find another man with a fuller figure." Her eyes drifted across the room, then widened suddenly. "Ooh, like him! My, my, isn't _he_ a sexy beast?"

Yuki, with a forkful of grilled chicken half way to his mouth and grumbling discontentedly, paused and looked up to see who his mother was gawking at. "Huh? Who?"

"Doesn't he have just the loveliest black hair you've ever seen? And just _look_ at those arms, oh, my..." She took a swig of her mineral water without looking away.

He saw, from across the room, exactly whom his mother was eyeing. It was Kouga. He and his buddies, who were looking out of place as usual, were getting up from their table.

Rini sighed. "Now _he's_ eye candy, no doubt about it. You know what? I should go over there and have a chat with him. He and Kagome would make an adorable pair, don't you think?"

The grilled chicken went into Yuki's mouth without further delay. "No, I _don't_ think so," he muttered around his food.

"Now, that's much better." She sat back in her chair and fanned herself lightly with her hand. "Oh, my goodness, that young man was certainly quite attractive." Rini smiled a little to herself, her brown eyes turning thoughtful. "You know, your father was built like that once upon a time. He had these arms I would have killed to keep around me all the time. His embraces were like... like a warm, wonderful blanket surrounding me. That young man," she said, nodding in the direction Kouga had gone, "is very like Ryu, physically. No doubt he has a young woman. A man like that usually does. Whoever she is, she's a very lucky girl."

With a sigh, she raised her hand, signalling their waiter. When he appeared, Rini motioned for him to lean down and she whispered in his ear. The man nodded in understanding and took himself off, leaving Yuki frowning at his back. "What are you doing?" he asked suspiciously.

She shook her head and continued eating her salad.

A few minutes later, the waiter returned with two plates; one was a plate of fried oysters and the other was a large slab of cheesecake heavily drizzled with cherries and cherry sauce. Yuki's eyes glowed with interest, but he still retained his suspicious facade. Those were two of his favorite foods. "What's this?" he asked as disinterestedly as possible.

The waiter laid the two plates before him, then bowed before leaving. Yuki turned to his mother. "Alright, spill it. What's this about?"

Rini smiled. "You need to put on weight, darling, so eat up."

"Are you kidding? I can't eat all that!"

His mother's smile seemed to be stuck on her face, for it didn't budge. "Try," she commanded quietly.

So, pushing the grilled chicken away, he set the fried oysters in front of him and began eating. His eyes nearly rolled back in his head with joy. He _loved_ fried oysters.

By the time he'd gotten to the cheesecake, his mother smiled with relief and patted him on the head. "Good boy. Now I want you to start eating like this more often, okay?"

"But I'll get fat," he mumbled, trying very careful not to spill his mouthful of cherry and cheesecake on himself.

"Not if you do it in moderation, darling. Besides, Akira wants you to start working out, doesn't he? I want you to put on some more weight, Yuki. Give Kagome something to hold on to."

"Mother! For pity's sake...!"

"What? I'm only looking out for my little boy!" she cried defensively.

By the time he'd finished half of the cheesecake, he laid his fork down. "Ugh..." he moaned softly, shutting his eyes. "I ate too much."

Rini gave a ladylike snort and raised her hand for the waiter again, who brought the check. "Nonsense. You ate just enough." She paid with her credit card and when they were ready to go, she stood and helped her son to his feet. Handing him his cane, she slid his arm through hers and led him out of the restaurant.

"Mom, I'm not totally crippled, you know," he murmured as she held his car door open for him.

She studied him for a moment then went to hug him, draping her arms around his middle and pressed her face against his chest. "I know, darling," she told him, her voice trembling slightly. "But I've missed you so much... and I can't bear to see my baby like this! I can't stand seeing you in pain and having to need a cane to move around! It hurts me so much, Yuki. You could have died in that car crash and I never would have... gotten to hold you again... _my baby_." Her shoulders shook with her sobs.

"Mom," he whispered, dropping a kiss on her shining golden head, "I'm so sorry. I was a fool to have left you the way I did." He held her close and buried his face against her hair. "But I didn't die, mom. I'm still here." He laughed softly when he felt her pinch him. "Ouch. Yep, still alive."

"That's not funny, Yuki," she said reproachfully, moving away from him. She dug in her purse for a kleenex and wiped her eyes with it. "I was very distraught when your brother told me about your accident."

"I can imagine, mom."

"Can you? I was so angry, Yuki. I thought to myself how unfair fate was to take you from us twice in one lifetime. I don't think I could have handled it if you had been killed." Rini tilted her head up, the tears streaming down her cheeks. She reached up and touched the scar that ran down the side of his face, her fingers tracing a path alongside it. "My beautiful little boy," she whispered brokenly.

He smiled down at her. "Mom..."

Her eyes narrowed. She dropped her hand to poke him in the chest. "Now you go out and get that girl! I want grandbabies, damn it! Get in the car!"

"Huh?" Her sudden switch in moods hit him like a load of bricks. Would he ever get used to it?

Rini marched around to the passenger side of the car. "We're going shopping!" she cried, getting in.

"No way! You'll make me walk around for hours!" he wailed, refusing to get in the car.

She glared up at him from her seat. "Not clothes shopping, Yuki. Rings! You need to buy an engagement ring!"

That brought him into the car with one swift movement. "But mom, I don't know her ring size, or what kind of ring she would like, or what kind of stone--"

Rini flapped her hand dismissively. "Details, details! Stop making excuses, darling. Now, on to Ginza!"

"Where in Ginza?" Yuki asked as he started his car's engine, wincing slightly. He knew he should have stayed at home in bed today. His leg was aching.

"Hmm. The Wako department store, I think. Yes, let's go there."

As they drove away from the parking lot, Yuki looked askance at his mother. He had forgotten how forceful his mother could be, but it was comforting to know that she was behind him all the way. There was no way he could fail snagging Kagome with his fierce mother by his side.

oooooooooooooooooo

"Should I invite Yamadera to the next party?" inquired Sesshoumaru thoughtfully of Kouga as he leaned back in his expensive executive leather swivel chair. He was staring up at the ceiling, a small frown on his face.

Kouga stopped typing and looked up from his laptop. He was sitting in an armchair across in front of Sesshoumaru's massive marble desk. "Only if you want to, but why would you?"

Sesshoumaru shrugged and took a sip of his bottled imported mineral water. "I don't know. Just because, I guess."

The black-haired man shrugged. "I think he knew you were just playing with him last time, boss man." Kouga leaned back in his chair. "He looked awfully pissed."

Morikawa laughed. "Do you think I give a damn? The boy may have millions and the business sense to keep those millions rolling in, but he needs to know that I'm the alpha male around here. He needs to realize that he can't just _take_ something from me that I don't wish him to."

"You mean Kagome."

"Especially Kagome. She is off limits to him." He replaced the lid on his water bottle and slammed it down on his desk. "He really chafes my ass. Yes, let's invite the sly little fox. Let him think that the hen house is unguarded. I will crush him before he has a chance to step one paw inside the door."

Kouga's mouth lifted in a half-smile, bringing a wolfish look to his face. "Nice. Very nice." He turned his attention back down to his laptop and began typing. "Okay, one sly fox added. Anything else?"

Sesshoumaru's lips twitched. "Yes. Take Kagome out shopping again and find her something in... blue."

"Why blue?"

Gold-colored eyes slid over to where Kouga sat, a look of resignation in those burning depths. "So she'll match your eyes."

Bright blue eyes widened in surprise. "Sesshoumaru?"

The pale head nodded slowly. Sesshoumaru sighed. "You've done so well with her the first time, I think you deserve to have a little fun. She may be my hostess, but I'd like you to escort her during the next one."

"Won't your business associates find that a little strange?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "No. This get-together is important, so I'll need to spend more time with them rather than with Kagome. There will be some major business propositions on the table. I love Kagome, but that little minx is rather... distracting." He chuckled, tapping his fingers on his desktop.

"She most certainly is." Kouga looked down at his laptop for a moment, then back up at his new employer. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru. She won't disappoint you and neither will I."

"I know you won't. It will be another great success. Oh, yes, after the party, he'll know that you no longer work for him, right? I hope you'll let him know before then."

"Certainly, he'll know." Closing the laptop, Kouga got to his feet. "I've already sent our resignation notices his home. But right now," he grinned delightedly, "I get to take my favorite girl out to buy a brand new dress."

"Hey," Sesshoumaru called out as Kouga began walking towards the door, "no hanky-panky, Matsuno! No asking her to marry you and no touching or feeling in the wrong places, you got that?!"

Kouga threw his head back and laughed. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Later, boss man." He slipped out of the door and was gone.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Yuki was surprised to see another invitation to yet another of Morikawa Sesshoumaru's parties. He scowled and tossed the invitation on his desk. Something was up, he just knew it. Sesshoumaru hated him; he felt it strongly at the last party, so why was he invited again?

He got shakily to his feet, grabbing his cane as he did so. Sesshoumaru was tormenting him. That much was obvious. Sesshoumaru had the power to keep Kagome away from him as long as he wanted; hell, wasn't that what he'd been doing just recently? Making her put together these huge parties, acting as his hostess? Keeping her so busy that she couldn't answer her phone? Sesshoumaru would do anything to keep her away from him.

A soft knock came at his office door. "Yes?" His voice was curt, angry.

Kaede came in, a thick white envelope in her hand. "Yuki-san, this just arrived for you." As he took it from her, she reached over to brush his hair back from his face. "What's wrong? Are you in any pain?"

Yuki shook his head as he opened the envelope. There were four letters inside; the first three were resignation letters from Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku. The other one was something from their lawyer, stating that they had all relinquished their shares of _Netsu_ to him. He frowned, sinking down onto his chair. "What's going on? Why is everyone deserting me?"

"I'm not sure that's the case, Yuki-san," said the nurse in a soothing voice. "Perhaps they felt it was time to move on. Or perhaps they found a better paying position?"

Yuki froze, then turned his head and eyed her with disbelief. "What? Are you saying I'm a cheapskate?" he demanded.

Hiding her smile, Kaede shook her head. "No, you're actually quite a generous young man." When his frown didn't go away, she sighed with exasperation. "Oh, for heaven's sake, don't be so suspicious of everything. You'll never have a long lasting relationship if you don't learn to trust anyone. Anyway, that's not what I meant."

He grunted. "Yeah, yeah, I know what you meant," he replied sourly. "Someone lured them away, like religion _supposedly_ lured Miroku away. Well, damn them all. If they don't want to work for me, then I sure as hell don't need them."

Yuki settled back against his seat, his mind going around and around. Something felt a little off here, and he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

_Miroku, Kouga, Ginta, Hakkaku..._

Somehow, their leaving his employment so closely together suddenly seemed suspicious. What was the connection?

They had all been deeply involved in watching over Kagome when he had been incapacitated; even more so than anyone else because he had trusted them more than anyone else. Of course, there were those two other men, Kanako and the new guy, Hachi. But even so, those two had been directly under Miroku's supervision.

Yuki made a mental note to question those two as soon as possible.

ooo

A couple of days later, Yuki, accompanied by his mother, attended Sesshoumaru's latest bash. This time, he came early so he could see Kagome again, face to face. Thankfully, Sesshoumaru was busy talking to a couple of old stiffs in tuxedos when he and his mother came up to Kagome.

"Kagome!" his mother cried and embraced the girl. "I've missed you so much, you naughty thing! Where have you been?"

Kagome flushed under Rini's bright gaze. "Forgive me! I had many things to do, Rini-san. My step-brother needed a hostess for his parties, so naturally I stepped up to do my duty. Unfortunately, that also consisted of taking care of all the arrangements like catering, alcoholic beverages, etc. It's been very exhausting work."

Rini smiled sweetly at her and eyed her up and down. "Well, my dear, I must say that you look positively radiant. Doesn't she look lovely, Yuki?"

His eyes had already taken in her appearance; several times in fact. "Stunning," he said appreciatively, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. In truth, he wished to do more than that... like snatch her up, run off with her to some deserted island and make love to her until she begged him to stop. His lips skimmed lightly over her cheekbone and placed another kiss on her little ear. "I love you," he whispered hotly, "and I'm still waiting for your answer."

When he pulled away, he saw that her face was a bright rosy shade of pink. Her eyes glowed like large brown gems in her adorable face and his heart began to gallop in his chest.

"Y-yuki," she moaned breathlessly.

He looked down and noticed that her chest was heaving, as though she had trouble breathing. All he knew at that moment was that he would give anything to be able to nuzzle his face against her beautiful breasts...

"Darling, you're getting a little too excited, if you know what I mean," his mother whispered hurriedly in his ear.

That snapped him out of his lovely day dream and his face went red. "Mom!" he hissed at her.

"What?" Rini's big brown eyes widened innocently.

"You're not supposed to notice stuff like that!" He sent Kagome an apologetic look.

Rini's body stiffened defensively. "I'm your mother," she said rather loudly, much to Yuki's dismay. "I'm _supposed_ to notice things like that." Turning to Kagome she said, "A small problem has _arisen_ with my son. Please excuse us, my dear."

She gave Kagome a quick peck on the cheek before grabbing a now fiery red Yuki by the arm and leading him away. They soon disappeared through the crowd of elegantly dressed men and women.

As Kagome stared at Yuki's and Rini's retreating backs, she was filled with confusion. What had happened just now? A small problem? Was his leg hurting again?

"A good hostess is not supposed to look confused."

Startled by the proximity of the soft voice beside her ear, Kagome whirled around to see Kouga smiling down at her. She returned his smile and he held out his arm to her. She took it and he led them to the dance floor where many couples were waltzing. Kagome couldn't resist a small, pleased grin.

The waltz was something else she'd been forced to learn during these past several days. Of course, she'd been terrible at the beginning, always managing to trip over her own feet and occasionally, over her instructor's feet. Thankfully, he had been incredibly patient; but then again, she knew he'd always be patient with her, no matter how incompetent she was.

"I'm scared," Kagome whispered to her teacher.

Kouga chuckled, grasping her hand in his. "You'll do fine. Just relax and follow my lead."

As they slid smoothly in with the other couples, Kagome couldn't help but laugh self-consciously. "I feel like I stick out like a sore thumb," she murmured, trying to speak and concentrate at the same time.

She still couldn't believe that Kouga, of all people, knew how to waltz. During one of their dance lessons, she put the question to him.

_He chuckled and shook his head. __"I learned back in my late teens. I know this will sound odd to you, but I was once a rich woman's plaything and one of the things she demanded from me was that I know how to do well was the waltz." He smiled ruefully. "She was a slave driver when it came time for my lessons. I don't think I'll ever forget how to waltz, thanks to her." _

_"Oh, wow. What else did you learn?" _

_Kouga gave her a concerned look. "Are you sure you want to know?" _

_She nodded and he sighed. "Let's just say, I was a virgin when she took me into her bed. Everything I learned, I learned from her." His eyes stayed on her face, as if waiting to see her reaction. _

_"I see." Kagome bowed her head. "I didn't mean to pry. I hope I didn't upset you too much." _

_Warm, loving arms surrounded her and she felt Kouga's lips in her hair. "It doesn't upset me unless it upsets you. She meant nothing to me, Kagome. Sure, she gave me lots of money, took me on shopping sprees, bought me anything I ever wanted and yeah, the sex was great. But that was so long ago, that I don't think about it or her anymore. I didn't want to tell you, but you wanted to know."_

_"I know. Have you seen her recently?" She looked away._

_"Darling, are you jealous?" He tilted her head up, his blue eyes sparkling. Of course she didn't need to answer. Her thoughts were written all over her face. "No and I'll never see her again."_

_Kagome felt a bit of relief flood her. "Are you sure?"_

_With a shout of laughter, Kouga kissed her thoroughly. "Kagome! My little girl is jealous of another woman! That's so cute!" He grinned from ear to ear and kissed the tip of her nose. "But I'm positive I'll never see her again. She was killed in a car accident five years ago." The grin slowly vanished. _

_"Oh! How awful!"_

_He nodded solemnly. "Yeah, I know, but it was her fault. She was drunk and she struck another car at a high rate of speed. It was pure luck that the other driver wasn't killed, too." He shook his head sadly. "I don't know how many times I told her to lay off the bourbon. That was her favorite drink, but damn, she drank it so often you couldn't tell when she was drunk or sober."_

_"How long were you with her?" Kagome asked as Kouga pulled her to her feet to continue practicing. _

_"Until my 22nd birthday. She was in love with me," he said, spinning her into his arms and kissing her, "but by then, I was so utterly bored with her and her repulsive drinking habits, I left. Little did I know that I would find an even greater treasure waiting for me years down the road." He winked at Kagome and they began to dance..._

"You're doing great," he told her graciously, smiling a little as he looked down at her sapphire blue gown. His gaze slid up and he watched her as she closed her eyes, allowing him to sweep her along. As he studied her, her face began to flush with exertion and he felt his mouth go dry. His heart raced like a hundred stampeding horses in his chest. When his hand clutched her waist a little tighter, her eyes flew open.

Kagome, who had finally felt like she had gotten the hang of it, was startled at the feeling of the hand around her waist tightening convulsively. "Kouga?" she asked after a moment. Kouga's eyes were burning through her.

Unable to help herself, her gaze fell to his lips, for they had begun to move. Through the roaring of her wildly pounding heartbeats, she caught the words, "Have I told you I loved you today?"

Numbly, she shook her head and managed to reply. "No. Tell me," she said automatically.

Suddenly, the couple-filled dance floor was gone and she found herself alone with him outside on the terrace. The night was warm and velvety soft around them, but she barely took notice of it.

Taking her hand in his, he led her away from the brightly lit windows to the darker part of the terrace. Once there, he pulled her to him. "I love you. I love you so much." He bowed his head and kissed her softly, his lips nipping lightly at hers.

"But... Sesshoumaru..." she gasped between kisses.

"... is busy," he finished for her, wrapping his arms about her. "That's why he asked me to be with you tonight."

"Oh, I see." She felt him steer her backwards a little until she felt something hard and cool press horizontally across her back.

Kouga leaned her gently against the railing, smiling as he dipped down to ravish her adorable little mouth again.

He was thankful that he'd kept his anger in check when he'd seen Yuki kiss Kagome earlier. Seeing that bastard touch her made his blood boil. But he would not think of that right now. There was only one thing he wanted to fill his mind with... and she was right here with _him,_ kissing him back.

oooooooooooooo

He looked around the ballroom, but he couldn't find her! Yuki felt panic crawl up his throat, wanting to get. He'd looked everywhere for her, but she was nowhere to be seen. On top of that, his leg had begun to ache...

"Darling, what's wrong?" Rini asked calmly, taking a sip of her champagne.

Yuki's fair eyebrows snapped downwards. "I can't find Kagome!" he snapped irritably.

Rini caressed his face. "Sweetheart, Kagome is the hostess. No doubt she's busy right now. You shouldn't worry so much."

"Busy doing what?" he muttered unkindly under his breath, but his mother heard anyway. She clicked her tongue reprovingly at him and he turned away from her.

He glanced over where the doors that led outside opened and he caught a glance of silvery-white hair. Yuki craned his neck to get a better look, but all he could see was a tall man with long silver hair in a black tuxedo. As he recalled, the Morikawa brothers had dressed alike this evening, damn them.

But it wasn't only the pale hair that had drawn his gaze. The silver haired male was standing by a pillar of white marble, talking to a young lady in a lovely blue evening gown. Kagome! What was she doing way over there?

Her smooth cheeks were flushed charmingly and she smiled lovingly up at... Inuyasha? Or was it Sesshoumaru? Damn, he wished he could tell which one it was.

The pale-haired man left and Kagome then moved and disappeared behind the pillar. Yuki scowled. It looked like she had been pulled behind it and he started forward, but when she reappeared again, her face was bright red and her fingers were pressed lightly against her lips. Yuki knew what that meant! Somebody had just kissed her! With a snarl, he began making his way over to her, his mother clinging to his arm.

Then he saw something that made him stop. He hadn't noticed it because he had been solely concerned with Kagome, but once again, a tall, silver-haired man was beside her. The man was holding her hand and leading her away... and that was when Yuki could see the man's face.

_Inuyasha?!_

He looked over at Kagome, who was still blushing like crazy.

Something tugged sharply on his arm and Yuki looked over his shoulder. Rini was shaking her head and pulled him back.

"But mom, that bastard kissed my woman!" he growled as she slipped her arm in his.

"I think I should take you home, my love," she told him, casting a worried glance over his face. "You don't look so good and your limp is more pronounced. I think you should take your pain medicine and lie down. Come, darling. Let's go home."

ooo

After Rini and Kaede fussed over him like a couple of mother hens and managed to tuck him into bed, Yuki lay in the dark, glaring up at the ceiling. His right leg was throbbing madly; even the big scar on his face hurt him, but all he could see was Kagome's face, flushed and smiling, her fingers pressed against her lips. She'd just been kissed; he would swear to that. But just because Inuyasha had been with her after she reappeared from behind the pillar, didn't mean _he_ was the one who had put his disgusting face on hers.

_So who had?_ Was it the man Kagome had said loved her? It was certain to be someone she loved back and trusted, for she had shoved him away and said that 'he' loved her.

So did that mean Inuyasha _wasn't_ the guy who kissed her?

Sitting straight up all of a sudden, he let loose a roar of frustration, grabbed his bedside lamp and flung it across the room. It shattered loudly in the semi-darkness and he lay back against his pillows, feeling slightly better.

The sound of feet came running down the hallway and soon after his bedroom door was flung open. Rini, with Kaede close on her heels, burst into the room and flipped on the light switch.

"Yuki! Baby! What's wrong?" Rini ran to him and practically flung herself on top of him. "Honey? Are you okay?"

The worry in her eyes made him regret losing his cool. "I'm fine... mom, really," he rasped, desperately trying to keep his anger at bay. "I just had a nightmare."

Kaede was already picking up the pieces of his broken lamp. "It must have been some nightmare for you to chunk this all the way across the room," she remarked dryly.

While Rini resumed her fussing, Yuki closed his eyes. His mother's hand was running through his hair, sweeping it back and all the while she was cooing to him, soothing his frazzled nerves.

But meanwhile, his mind was still racing around. There was only one way to be sure of the trespasser's identity and this time he wouldn't rely on his men, who he'd realized had most likely concealed information regarding Kagome and her unknown suitor.

This time, he would hire a private investigator.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sesshoumaru found Kouga kissing Kagome out on the terrace, but he managed to keep his cool when he strode over and tapped the man on the shoulder. Kouga's body tensed and Sesshoumaru could see his left arm moving slightly forward, as if it was reaching for something.

"It's just me," Sesshoumaru muttered, hoping that the ex-assassin wouldn't have an itchy trigger finger. He should have remembered that Kouga probably would have a weapon of some kind on him.

Thankfully, Kouga's body relaxed and he turned away from Kagome so that she was looking at his left side, and his arm dropping down. "Oh, hey. Um, a word of warning, boss man. Don't sneak up on me. Okay?" His right hand came up and quickly flipped the right side of his tuxedo jacket back a little. Sesshoumaru caught a glimpse of a dark handle of a gun tucked in the waistband of his trousers before the jacket was returned to its original place.

Kagome glanced from one man to the other with confusion, but then turned to her guardian and smiled at him. "Hi, Sesshoumaru! How are you doing? Is everything going okay?"

Sesshoumaru nodded and took her hand, pulling her away from Kouga and back to the party. "Yep, everything's going just fine." When they were inside, he turned to her. "You have done an excellent job once again, beloved. I have received so many compliments tonight." He bowed to her and left, after telling her that he would see her in a bit to claim a dance.

As soon as he was gone, movement from behind the marble column made her look and a hand reached out and grabbed her wrist. Kagome found herself once more in Kouga's embrace, his lips against hers. "Hello, beautiful. Did you miss me?"

She giggled. "I was only with you a couple of minutes ago!"

His lips brushed against her temple. "A couple of minutes away from you feels like a year," he replied, giving her body a squeeze before taking her lips once more.

"Oi! Let her go, baka!"

Kouga groaned as Kagome gasped. They both looked over to where Inuyasha stood, hands on his hips. "What could you possibly want, Inu?" grunted Kouga irritably.

"She promised me this dance," Inuyasha said triumphantly. He held out his hand to her. "Come on, my lady. Will you dance with me like you said you would? Or do I need to force you to sign something?" He winked at her, giving her a sexy smile.

Kagome grinned at both men before taking Inuyasha's hand with a laugh and allowed him to pull her behind him. But she wasn't quick to forget Kouga's kiss. It seared through her, making her feel weak. Pressing her fingers to her mouth, she sighed. Yuki's kiss was like this too, so heated, so raw, so intense with feeling.

As Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her for the dance, she leaned against him. If only she could choose between the two! If only there was some sign to tell her which path she must start down. As she danced with her step-brother, Kagome prayed to Kami-sama for help.

oooooooo

Kami-sama was quick to give her an answer. Even though she didn't know it was the right one, it was an answer nonetheless... but it didn't make it any less painful.

Kagome was taken out the next day by not one, but _three_ sexy men. Kouga and his boys wanted to spend time with her, so they took her to Palette Town and to ride the massive Odaiba Ferris wheel. After they rode the wheel enough to satisfy Kagome, not to mention the Hyper Shoot and Hyper Drop, (both which freaked her out) they kept a close eye on her as she dragged them along while she shopped. They first went to the Sun Walk, then up a level to Venus Fort: a woman's shopping paradise.

Kouga was the only one willing to enter those stores with her. Ginta and Hakkaku waited outside the shops, wondering when the torture would end.

It finally did... after Kagome had, mostly at Kouga's insistence, to spend a small fortune (at least, to her) of Sesshoumaru's money. She left the mall with several new outfits, shoes and plenty of accessories that had been picked out by Kouga. When she began to worry that Sesshoumaru would have a fit about the amount of money she spent, Kouga nay-sayed her.

"Don't worry your pretty little head with that," he told her with a grin. "Besides, he _wanted_ me to take her you here. He told me that this is to show his gratitude to you for all your hard work."

The four of them walked to a small ice cream stand by the waterfront and had ice cream. While Kouga leaned against the railing, looking out over the river, the wind kicked up, forcing the back of his light jacket to blow upwards. Kagome, who had just happened to look over at him at that moment, saw something dark protruding out from the waistband of his jeans.

Her eyes widened. A gun?

His hand automatically reached back and tugged his jacket down. Kagome, completely stunned, turned around and ran smack into Ginta's chest. Her hand reached out to brace herself against his abdomen... and she felt some cold and hard as steel beneath his t-shirt. Jerking her hand back, she looked up at him and for the first time, saw something cool in his glance that disturbed her greatly. Where was the gentle look she had always come to expect from him? Obviously, he hadn't wanted her to discover what he was hiding beneath his shirt.

"G-ginta," she stammered, not knowing what to say.

He shook his head. "Say nothing," he told her quietly.

"But..."

Ginta sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, his eyes were narrowed. "Kouga didn't want us to tell you that we carry guns," he murmured softly.

Kagome stole a glance at Kouga, who was laughing and talking with Hakkaku. "Why not?" she asked, afraid to know the answer.

"He didn't want to scare you off and well... because it's really none of your business, is it?" He groaned and gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry, Kagome. We carry weapons on our bodies at all times. It's a habit that we've never bothered to break. Kouga's told us that you know what he used to do for a living and its just second nature to us now. Besides, we never know when we'd have a good paying job and we needed them for work. So it just made sense to keep wearing them."

Her eyes grew wide with horror. "What are you saying?" She whirled around to look at Kouga, who was still chatting with Hakkaku.

Ginta leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Do you remember when Kouga and my brother were out of town?"

Her mind went swiftly back to that time. They had been gone for several days as she recalled. She turned away from him. "Please, no more. I don't want to know."

"But..."

"I said I don't want to know," she whispered, feeling her heart grow heavy. Kouga, she thought sadly, hadn't changed his old ways. Wiping away the tears, she turned to Ginta and asked to be taken home.

When she was dropped off, Kouga got out of the car, fully intending to see her into the house, but she pleaded a bad headache and said that she was going to lie down, so it wasn't necessary to follow her in. As soon as she shut the door on his confused face and locked it, she slid down the nearest wall, tears streaming down her face. After all this time, she thought she knew him! _How could he lie to her?_

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

While Sesshoumaru and Kouga were in the former's office, the secretary buzzed in and told Mr. Morikawa that he had a visitor. Sesshoumaru acknowledged this and told the woman to allow the person to enter.

A moment later, Kagome came in. Both men got to their feet and came forward, but Kagome tried, unsucessfully to keep from flinching when Kouga came to her. While he was wondering what was wrong, her eyes were searching his waist in search of mysterious lumps.

Kouga took a step back, utterly baffled. What the hell was going on?

"Sesshoumaru? I was wondering if we could have lunch together today. Its been awhile since we've had time to ourselves together. Pretty please?" She looked up at him and gave him an innocent smile.

He looked happier than ever. "Yes, that would great! Let me get my things first," he said, turning away and going to his desk. "I'll be back in a couple of hours, Kouga. Do what you need to do to finish the invitation list and anything else that needs to be done." He grabbed Kagome's hand and they headed for the door.

Kouga watched them go, hurt and puzzlement in his eyes. He looked down at his waist and wondered what it was she was--

His eyes flew open in stunned understanding. _Had she seen his gun?_

Grabbing his phone, he dialed Ginta's number. When he answered, Kouga asked him point blank if Kagome had seen his gun the day before. Ginta, who was half-asleep, confirmed that she had.

"Oh my god," Kouga breathed, sinking down into his chair.

Ginta yawned. "Oh my god, what? What difference does that make? She found mine too."

"What?! How?"

Ginta told him briefly of her bumping up against him and of the ensuing conversation. Meanwhile, Kouga felt his blood pressure spike to a dangerous level. _"What the hell were you thinking?!"_ he roared.

"Dude, chill out! I figured she'd find out sooner or later about us working for Yuki, so--"

Kouga was ready to tear his hair out. "That's not what it sounded like to me! The way you talked it sounded like we were still in the old game!"

"Huh?" Ginta's voice was low, confused... but not for long. "Oh! Aw, shit! Sorry, Kouga! I didn't think--"

"Obviously not!" He groaned wretchedly, running an agitated hand through his hair. "No _wonder_ she doesn't want to come near me. She thinks... she thinks I'm still... oh god..."

"Kouga, I'm sorr--"

But Kouga hung up the phone before Ginta could finish. He felt utterly miserable. How could he make her understand that it wasn't what she thought? He'd given up that life a long time ago!

He raised a trembling hand to his chest where the ring rested against his skin on its gold chain. With a sinking heart, he realized that the chance of her ever wearing this ring had just slipped away.

_What a mess. _

_What a horrible, damned mess..._

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Several days later, Sesshoumaru was supremely happy. He'd spent his entire weekend with Kagome, doing pretty much anything her little heart desired. During the work week, he took her out to lunch everyday. Vaguely, he wondered why she spent no time with Kouga, but he didn't care. She was spending time with _him_ and that was all that mattered.

So delighted was he at her sudden change of heart, that he didn't even mind if Inuyasha was around her. As to Kouga, Sesshoumaru was concerned. The man hadn't appeared for work in over a week, which was unusual. He finally got a hold of Hakkaku, who told him that Kouga had gone off on his own for awhile, but they didn't know where. Apparently, he'd left them a note telling them he'd left but that was all.

When Sesshoumaru asked Kagome what had happened with Kouga, she refused to talk about it, turning her face away sadly. But when he told her that Kouga had gone away, she became instantly concerned for him.

Sesshoumaru was confused. Just _what_ had happened between them?

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Did you find anything concrete?"

It was two weeks after the last Morikawa gala. The private investigator Yuki had hired was standing at the window for a moment, smoking a cigarette. He was in his 40s, medium height, medium weight with a small potbelly and a bad chain-smoking habit. He seemed to be inwardly debating something.

As the silence wore on, Yuki grew frustrated. "Well?" he demanded angrily. He reached for the glass ashtray on his desk and stubbed his own cigarette out impatiently. "Look, I didn't pay you a shit load of money just so you could stand around smoking all day."

The investigator sighed and picked up his briefcase where he had set it on the floor beside him. He brought it over to Yuki's desk where he set it down, opened it and retrieved a large, sealed manilla folder. He set it down in front of Yuki, who only glared at it. "Go ahead, take a look. But personally, I wouldn't pursue this matter any further."

Shutting his briefcase, he grabbed the handle and headed for the door. "I'll be expecting the rest of the money wired into my personal account by the five today, as per our agreement," the man said briefly before slipping out of the room and shutting the door quietly behind him.

Yuki stared at the folder a moment before opening it. He was terrified of what he might find, but he had to know. His trembling fingers undid the flap and he lifted one end, tilting the envelope so the contents spilled out onto his desk. Large, glossy black and white photographs stared up at him. He picked up the top and one, bracing himself to see the worst.

It was a picture of Kagome, as fresh and lovely as ever, standing on her front porch with a look of expectant joy on her face. Frowning slightly, Yuki's eyes slid over to the left, in the direction of her gaze. A man was getting out of a car. A tall man with long white hair.

He let the photo slide out of his nerveless fingers. _Inuyasha._ Of course, damn it all. How could he not have known that?

But picking up the next picture, his heart froze. The tall man with the white hair was standing in front of Kagome, cupping her face with one hand. He was smiling so tenderly at her that for a moment, Yuki could only stare in shock at who the man actually was. The moment of disbelief wore off enough to make Yuki wanted to reach into the picture and knock that look off his face. But at least he could see who the man was. _No one_ could mistake that haughty profile.

Not Inuyasha.

_Sesshoumaru._

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A/N: Okay... I hope this one is long enough. -- Anyway, y'all should look on my profile. I have the link there for my LiveJournal, where I will be posting an alternate ending to this story... eventually.

I hope you guys enjoyed this chappie!

RSB


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

A/N: Okay... this chapter is a doozy. I hope it's long enough... -- It's over 10,000 words; the longest chapter I've ever written. Gomen nasai, min'na!

Chapter 22

As he flipped through the other photos, Yuki felt his heart, no, _his entire world_, come to a grinding halt. He'd wondered for a while now if Kagome'd really _did_ have something going on with Inuyasha, despite the fact that Hiro repeatedly told him that she couldn't bring herself to be anymore than friends with Inuyasha. But Yuki never _actually_ expected Kagome's secret lover to be his older brother. Hell, he never expected Kagome to have a secret lover, _period_. The pictures that were strewn on his desk before him told him the whole lurid story. Well, at least part of it.

At first, when he'd acted like a fool and treated her to a front seat viewing of his massive ego, he hadn't really cared if she wanted anotherman, but now... he knew he couldn't let anyone else have her. Kami knew he didn't deserve her love, her tenderness, her sweetness. But he didn't care. He wanted her and he was going to have her.

But now... But this... An affair with Sesshoumaru? How _could_ she? How could she do this to him?

Again staring down at the pictures, he knew it was all true. It _had_ to be! He recalled that Kagome had once talked of having appointments on Wednedays. They weren't appointments at all; another thing that his private eye had discovered. She'd gone on dates with her over-attentive guardian.

So, there were the 'appointments' once a week, the house she lived in, the car she drove, the money she lived off of... It was all so bloody obvious. Sesshoumaru was supporting her because she was his mistress. A man like that would never be so attentive like that to a woman who was supposed to be his sister, so that was the only logical explanation.

He slumped down in his chair, his eyes never leaving the scattered pictures on his desk. Why hadn't he seen it before? She'd turned Inuyasha and himself down time after time, but she'd only went out with Inuyasha because she got tired of him asking. She probably had to ask Sesshoumaru's permission to do so and he had allowed it, knowing that his little brother would get no play from her anyway.

Yuki groaned, feeling utterly depressed. Who was he, to think he could compete with Mr. Perfect? Because that's what Sesshoumaru was. _ Perfect._ Not just physically, but he was perfect in ways that Yuki could only dream of being. His rigidly controlled manner, for instance. Yuki always wished to be able to hold in his emotions like that. He felt that maybe if he had a cold demeanor instead of having such a hot temper, people would take him more seriously.

Perhaps if he were more like Sesshoumaru, Kagome would want him. But he knew that he couldn't go after Sesshoumaru and take his revenge. Sesshoumaru was practically untouchable. He was so damned powerful that even if he tried to take Kagome from Sesshoumaru, he knew that Sesshoumaru would ruin him and all that he'd worked so hard for. He'd be left with nothing, not even Kagome, and the thought of losing her hurt more than anything.

But what hurt the most was that she couldn't even tell him she was sleeping with him, her supposed guardian. Why did she lie to him? Oh, gods that hurt so much! Didn't she know how much he loved her? Didn't she realize that he would do _anything_ for her? Or was it the money talking? After all, Sesshoumaru was far wealthier than he was. Did she think to just string him along, all the while continuing to see her step-brother?

With a roar of unbridled and frustrated fury, he knocked all the objects from the top of his desk with a sweep of his arm. The photographs, as well as the expensive glass objects and his computer shattered when they hit the floor and pieces of them scattered across the smooth, marble floor. When _that_ still had not managed to relieve his rage, he jumped up and shoved his desk over. It landed with a loud crash and he proceeded to destroy more objects in his office.

When it was all over and his surge of energy was spent, he limped wearily and painfully without his cane over to the windows and leaned heavily against the glass as he slid down its length until he sat on the floor. His chest was heaving with the exertion and his green eyes were darting wildly around the room as the truth as the hopelessness of the situation hit him again. Hot tears fell unheeded down his cheeks and stained the front of his rumpled silk shirt. His mind felt numb, but his heart didn't. Just two weeks ago, he'd had hope... but now...

Propping his arms on his knees, he brought his hands up to cover his face. He hadn't cried like this since he was a little boy and growing up, he discovered that nothing was ever worth crying over so he didn't. Nothing was ever that important. Nothing, that is, except a tormented young woman named Kagome that managed to worm her way into his steel-plated heart. He had been completely blindsided and hadn't even realized it until too much time had passed by when he should have been loving her instead of mistreating her. Even then it had taken a car accident to knock some sense into him, to make him see just how perfect she was for him. But then again... she _was_ sleeping with Sesshoumaru...

The sound of pounding feet echoed in the hallway just beyond his office doors and stopped in front of them just as Hiro burst in, panic-stricken. "Yuki? What's wrong? Did you fall?" His eyes roamed around the room. "What the hell happened in here? Are you okay?"

It took Yuki a minute to remember that Hiro was watching over him today, as Kaede was out. But right now, he didn't want Hiro here. "Leave me alone, Hiro," he said, staring dully ahead of him. "Just go away."

"Like hell I will." Hiro picked his way through the mess to get to his brother, who just sat huddled against the window pain, his knees pulled up to his chest. Long fingers were buried in the tangled mess of his fair hair while green eyes stared blindly out over the wreckage. "Yuki...?" he began, then something on the floor caught his eye. Frowning, he bent down to see what it was. It was a black and white photo of Kagome hugging a tall, white-haired man in front of a restaurant. _Sesshoumaru. _

"Where did you get this, Yuki?" he asked worriedly, picking his way through the remains of Yuki's home office to find more of the photographs. They were scattered everywhere. The images on them would have disturbed him, too, if he hadn't known everything.

One was of Kagome and Sesshoumaru having lunch outside at a pricey French restaurant. Another was of them at the same place but Kagome was laughing, her head was thrown back while Sesshoumaru smiled at her indulgently. Yet another was of Kagome standing on tiptoe, giving the tall man a chaste kiss on the cheek. Still another showed the most telling image of all: One of Sesshoumaru's arms went about Kagome's slim waist, the other went up her back so that his hand cradled the back of her head. He was giving her what looked to be a passionate embrace. Kagome's face was visible against his shoulder and it held a look of ecstasy. Her eyes were closed and a sweet smile turned up the corners of her lips. Hiro knew hugs like that were, for Kagome, extremely important. No wonder she looked so happy in his arms.

A thought it hit him and Hiro turned a confused face to his brother. How could Yuki have gotten these pictures? "Oh my god, Yuki, did you have Kagome followed? Why?" Hiro lowered the pictures and turned to look at his brother, who hadn't moved from his spot on the floor. Apparently, Yuki didn't know the truth or that it was something else he'd forgotten. He sighed. "There _is_ a reasonable explanation for this, Yuki."

"I know," the miserable-looking blond muttered hoarsely. "She's his mistress. No wonder she didn't want to tell me who _he_ was. Why would she lower herself to be with a nobody like me when she has the most powerful man in Tokyo at her beck and call?" A mirthless smile tilted the corners of his lips up. "Kagome's a smart girl. Naturally she would choose to be with the man who has the most to offer her."

With a sigh, Hiro finished gathering the photographs, found Yuki's cane amidst the wreckage and then joined Yuki where he sat on the floor. His brother was hurting and all he wanted was to stop the pain. Perhaps it was from all the times he'd comforted Kagome... he didn't want to see anyone hurt.

He set the cane next to Yuki's leg. "You don't really believe that, do you?"

Yuki lowered his hands and they went in search of his cigarettes. He'd finally gotten a chance to smoke them since Kaede was out. Finding them, he lit one with trembling hands, his arms still propped on his knees. "I don't know what to believe," he replied simply and exhaled. "But now its difficult to believe that she truly felt anything for me at all."

Damn, he still hadn't gotten used to his brother's new attitude. "Trust me, she loves you, Yuki."

Angry, tear-filled green eyes shot him a nasty look from beneath tangled locks of gold. "Oh, please," he bit out caustically, "How can that be? Tell me, Hiro, tell me how many times I treated her like shit and all of a sudden I'm like, 'Hey Kagome! I'm in love with you! Would you be my woman?' Yeah, Hiro, like _that_ makes a lot of sense. I'm surprised she doesn't look at me with utter confusion every time I'm around her." He took a drag before hanging his head dejectedly and continuing on in a voice so soft that Hiro had to lean over to hear it. "Besides, she's Sesshoumaru's woman." He exhaled. "How can I compete with _him_?" A look of pain crossed his face, then he turned it away from Hiro's staring eyes.

Hiro reached over and gently smoothed his brother's wild hair down. "Yuki, you're mistaken. Trust me, it isn't as hopeless as you think it is."

Yuki's bitter laugh filled the room. "You're joking, right? She belongs to _him!_ Just look at the way he's holding her! If there's something I'm an expert in, it's deciphering male body language." He grabbed the stack of pictures from Hiro's hands and flipped through them until he found the one with Sesshoumaru cradling Kagome to him. He jabbed a shaky finger at the picture. "_That_ is a photograph of a man in love with the woman he's holding. Anyone can see that."

Hiro looked away and Yuki handed the pictures back to him. "Look, Hiro, I know you mean well, but I know when I've been beaten and I know it would be useless to keep pursuing her. I mean, it was pretty damn obvious that she's his woman. All you have to do is watch how he treats her. It's like she's a delicate, irreplaceable piece of glass." He took a drag and stared into space until he exhaled and the smoke snaked out of his nostrils in two streams. "Anyone can see he's in love with her. And whatever Sesshoumaru wants, Sesshoumaru gets," he finished sourly.

"Not necessarily," a soft voice broke into the heavy silence.

Yuki froze for a moment then looked up in the direction of the speaker. When he saw who stood in the doorway, he immediately dropped his cigarette and put it out with his foot before reaching up with nervous hands in an attempt to straighten his hair and shirt. "K-kagome!" he exclaimed, trying not to wince as he put weight on his bad leg.

Kagome came over to him, being very careful not to tread on any sharp objects that might be on the floor. When she finally stood in front of him, she reached up to straighten his twisted collar. "You look very tired, Yuki-kun. You should go rest." She reached down, grabbed his cane from off the floor and pressed the handle into his hand. "Hiro and I will take care of this mess."

The startled man looked over at Hiro, who had gotten to his feet and was grinning from ear to ear. "I'll go now, shall I?" he asked and left without waiting for an answer. Yuki stared back down at her, still unable to believe that _she_ was here...right here with him...

His heart began to do funny little leaps in his chest and he grabbed a hold of her small hands, brought them up to his lips and kissed them tenderly. "Why are you here, Kagome?"

Her face flushed and she looked away, but Yuki would not have that. He was tired of her not being able to look him in the eyes. He did not like feeling as though she were scared of him. "Well?" he demanded softly, releasing her hands and tilting her face up to his with one of his.

She released a little sigh. "I wanted... to apologize. I'm sorry you thought the worst of me. You were confused about my relationship with my step-brother. I know it must seem strange to you. Sesshoumaru is a very affectionate and loving man. He adores me and he isn't afraid or embarrassed if everyone knows it. But our relationship is not as you think, Yuki. I'm not Sesshoumaru's mistress. I never have been."

She'd overheard him? That sneaky little girl...

A huge weight seemed to vanish from his shoulders. "So...you're saying that what he said really _was_ true? You really are _just_ his ward?"

Nodding, she gave him a sad smile. "Yes. His father had become the guardian for myself and my brother after my mother died. He'd planned on adopting us, but he never got the chance. It wasn't until after my little... _incident_... that Sesshoumaru told me that he'd taken over guardianship of my brother and me. But he'd been so busy taking his place as head of his father's company and learning everything he could, he hadn't been able to find the time to take care of us properly. After I got out of the hospital, he moved me into my own house and gave me a set income, so that I wouldn't have to work and he actually requested that I _not_ work. So you see, everything I have was through his generosity and worry for my well-being. It was not gained through an illicit affair with my guardian."

"Oh." Damn, he felt stupid! "But what about those appointments? What were they exactly?"

Kagome smiled mistily at his chest. "Sesshoumaru wanted to make sure that I eat dinner with him at least once a week." She looked up at Yuki rather sheepishly. "He wanted to see for himself that I wasn't wasting away again." She shrugged. "That's the story. I'm sorry that I upset you. I didn't mean to."

Cupping her face in his hands, he shook his head. "You don't need to apologize for my behavior, Kagome. I was being completely irrational and totally idiotic. I'm the one who should be apologizing." He let his hands slide to the back of her skull and into the coolness of her silken hair. All he could do for the moment was stare at her.

It had been too close. _Far too close._ If he'd let his jealous nature completely override his common sense, he would have eventually taken his anger out on her, never knowing that it had all been just an enormous misunderstanding. "I have two things to ask you. May I?" She nodded again and gave him an encouraging smile that set his heart to galloping. "Okay, first question. Do you forgive me for being an as--, um, a huge jerk?"

Her small hands came up to rest against his chest. "Yes, I forgive you. What's the next question?"

It was his turn to drop his eyes from her gaze. But it wasn't out of shyness. He was attempting to gather his courage, for he knew that Sessoumaru loved her too and that she had spent a considerable amount of time in his company in the past couple of weeks. Indeed, whenever she was with Sesshoumaru, she seemed very happy, very content.

He drew in a shaky breath. "Do I still have a chance? With you, I mean."

Silently, Kagome stared up at him for a long moment and Yuki felt his little bubble of hope slowly decreasing in size. "Yeah, you're probably right. We started off on the wrong foot...I mean, _I_ started off on the wrong foot and---" He released her suddenly and turned away from the look of surprise in her eyes. "Damn it. I'm sorry, Kagome. I just... I'm sorry."

"Yuki." It was all the warning he had when he felt her arms go around his waist. "You didn't give me a chance to answer your question." She moved around to the front and was once more staring up at him.

"I don't want to hear you reject me, Kagome. I don't think...no, I _know_ I couldn't bear that. Not from you." His hands gently gripped her arms and pulled them away from him. "Please don't do that to me."

The girl in front of him only looked up at him in silence for a moment before she frowned and wriggled out of his hold. "Please don't push me away, Yuki. Ever since you first came to my house looking for Hiro, I felt something for you. It wasn't just your beauty, your perfect body, your expensive clothes. I didn't know why, and even though I didn't remember our time together as children, I wanted you. Even though you were cruel to me, I wanted you." Standing on tiptoe, she wrapped her hands around the back of his neck and pulled his head down to hers. "So the answer to your second question is, yes, you still have a chance." She brushed her lips lightly against his and whispered, "Are you going to take it?"

With a possessive growl, Yuki grabbed her and crushed her to him, taking her lips with a brutality that he'd never thought he could ever use against her. But she took everything he gave, allowing him to take over.

Yuki was impressed, but wondered what had just happened to her. He'd never seen her be forceful before. Inwardly he shrugged. Who cares? She was his and that was all that mattered!

He whirled them around, so she was squashed between him and the pane of glass. Lifting her up, he felt her legs wrap themselves securely around his middle. Convulsively, his arms tightened around her and she pushed against his chest. It took him a moment to realize she was trying to loosen his grip. Breaking the kiss, he apologized in an unsteady voice. "Sorry, Kagome. I... um... got carried away for a minute." His mind was in a whirl and his eyes were trained on her lips, which were red and swollen from his kiss.

Those lips smiled tenderly at him. "It's okay, Yuki." She sighed and brushed the hair from his face. His piercing green gaze shifted and met hers with a look of such adoration that she nearly cried. Instead of giving in to tears, she asked him how his mother was doing.

He frowned, his delicate brows knitting together over those magnificent emeralds. "Well, she's been begging me to go after you and there was something else, too..." He trailed off, appearing to be lost in thought. "Oh yes! She's also about to lose her mind if she doesn't get a grandchild soon."

Kagome blushed. "Oh dear. But I haven't said yes--"

Yuki's mouth kept her from finishing the rest of her sentence. When he released her, he kissed the tip of her nose. "You will. I can feel it. Besides, I can't have you leaving me for another man. Because you know, I tend to get insanely jealous over small stuff..." He gave her a rueful smile and rubbed his nose against hers. "Will you marry me, Kagome?"

Kagome started at his question. His eyes were regarding her with some solemnity and she smiled. "Yes," she whispered tremulously. "Yes, I'll marry you."

So there they stood, with Kagome crushed between the window and Yuki's body and both of them gazing foolishly at the other like a pair of love-struck teenagers.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

When Kagome made her way home later that day, she could feel Miroku calling out to her. She sighed. She knew that he knew what had happened today and he was sorely upset. His anger ran up and down her spine in hot waves. Oh, boy, was she going to get it.

But as she drove, she felt oddly devoid of elation. Wasn't this supposed to be one of the happiest days of her life? Somehow, as soon as she left Yuki's penthouse, she felt... _nothing_. She wondered if this indeed _was_ the way she should be going and suddenly she was overcome by a sensation of reassurance. Yes, this was supposed to happen.

It wasn't that she didn't love Yuki, for she did. Strange thing was, she loved Kouga as well. If she really thought about it, Kouga was far more suited to her than Yuki was. Why was it supposed to be this way? What was the purpose behind her needing to marry Yuki?

Once she got in the house, she went up to her room to put her purse away... and to admire her engagement ring. It was perfect. The large amethyst winked brilliantly up at her as she moved her hand under the overhead light. But somehow, it brought her no happiness. She didn't understand how that could be. After all, how had she reacted to the ring Kouga bought her? She had adored it... because it came from him.

_So what was the difference now?_

As she changed into her houseclothes, a jolt went through her. _Miroku again._ She supposed she should call him, but that would be pointless. As she headed downstairs, she knew he was coming to see her. So she went to unlock the front door and then headed to the kitchen.

While she was chopping vegetables, she heard the front door open and close, and after that came footsteps that were heading straight for the kitchen.

With a sigh she said aloud, "You're upset."

Miroku stormed across the kitchen and yanked the knife out of her hand. "Wrong! I'm fucking pissed! What were you thinking? Look at me, damn it!" He slammed the knife on the counter, breaking the blade off of the handle.

She turned to him and he grabbed her hand, his eyes going immediately to the ring on her finger. "Why?!" he shouted, blue eyes blazing. "How _could_ you? Kouga _loves_ you!"

Kagome stood there for a moment, staring up at the furious monk before dropping to her knees on the floor, sobs wracking her body. "I don't know!" she screamed at him. "I... don't know! Please, let me go!"

With a grunt, Miroku dropped her hand and turned away from her. He waited a minute then asked, "Was it because of something Ginta told you?" His voice was softer, kinder and this change in him caused her to look up at him.

"Wha--?"

He turned back to face her and went down on his knees before her. "You thought that Kouga was still murdering people for money, didn't you?" His chest heaved and he looked as though he was bracing himself for the worst. "Darling, you misunderstood Ginta. Yes, they wear guns, but that doesn't mean they're shooting people with them. What Kouga never told you was that until recently, he and his friends were _working_ for Yuki. They needed the guns for protection, because, let's face it, the business that Yuki tends to meddle into isn't always _legal_. Yes, sweetheart, your betrothed has enemies."

She began to cry again and Miroku held her to him, his hand stroking her hair. "Why did you do it, Kagome? Why?"

Sniffling against his shirt she muttered, "I told you, I don't know. I'd asked Kami-sama for a sign, anything to show me which way I was supposed to go. The next day, I saw the gun tucked in the back of Kouga's jeans. I knew that was the sign. You know how I feel about guns, Miroku. I dislike them terribly." She paused and then pulled away from him, staring up at him questioningly. "How do you know so much about this?"

His face hardened. "Because I, too, used to work for Yuki, Kagome. I was the one who Yuki handed the reins of his businesses to when he was in the hospital. I was the one who had to threaten his men not to say anything about you and Kouga to him. I was the one who risked my neck to keep you safe from _him_."

Her eyes widened and she shrank back from him. He scowled and got up. "Yeah, I went through alot trying to protect you, to keep you and Kouga together." He was silent for a moment. Then he went on, "For seven long years I worked for Yuki. It helped put me through college. The money was great and I got to be as ruthless as I wanted to be without suffering the consequences. Do you know what it's like threatening to have someone's loved one knocked off if they didn't do as you say? I do. I've done so many things I regret, and I know absolutely that Kouga regretted being someone's trigger man." His gaze fell to the ring on her hand. "But its not too late, Kagome. Get away from Yuki as soon as you can. Kouga loves you so much. I don't know how he'll take it when he finds out about this."

Looking down at her lap, Kagome shook her head. "I don't know either, Miroku, but I do know this. This is the path I'm supposed to take. For good or for bad, I'm supposed to go this way. If it doesn't please you, then I apologize." Her gaze traveled upwards to his face and she blinked away the tears that had begun to gather. "I _love_ Kouga, Miroku. With all my heart, I love him. At one point, I even offered myself to him. That's how much I love Kouga. If Yuki hadn't come around, I would have, without a doubt, agreed to marry him. But I'm supposed to be with Yuki for a reason... a reason as yet, is unknown to me. Do you understand now?"

Miroku ran an anxious hand through his hair. "I think so. But I still don't like it. I know Yuki much better than you do and I'm telling you, he's dangerous. I don't want you anywhere near him." Again, the vision of Kagome, the shattered glass and the blood filled him mind, making him want to tell her.

Quietly, she got to her feet and went to the counter to pick up the pieces of broken knife. She turned away from him to throw it away in her trash can. "Something bad is going to happen to me, Miroku. Right?"

Startled, he took a step forward. "Kagome! What are you talking about?"

There was a soft chuckle and she turned back to him, an oddly peaceful look in her eyes. "I can see and hear the same things that you do, silly. Remember?" Shaking her head with a laugh, she found another knife and resumed chopping her vegetables.

"What do you see?" he asked cautiously.

She shook her head. "I'm not sure. It's all a bit fuzzy... but I'm in pain. My throat hurts. Would you like an omelette?" She walked to the refrigerator and grabbed a handful of eggs.

He groaned helplessly. "How can you be so calm about this?! You're going to be hurt! You might even die! Aren't you the _least_ bit concerned about it?"

Kagome smiled happily and cracked the eggs into a bowl. "Two omelettes, coming right up."

_"Stop!"_ Miroku grabbed the bowl of eggs from her and set it aside on the counter. He took her hands in his and pressed them to his lips. "Please stop. This worries me to no end, beloved. On some level, it _has_ to be affecting you too."

"Of course it does, Miroku."

"Then show it! I don't want anything to happen to you, damn it!"

Standing on tip-toe, Kagome gave him a soft peck on the cheek. "Sango's pregnant," she whispered, pulling away from him to gauge his reaction.

Upon hearing this bit of sudden news, Miroku had to take a couple of steps back. "What?" he rasped, paling. When Kagome nodded and returned to beating the eggs, he had backed up against the wall and tipped his head back, so that he stared up at the ceiling. "She's pregnant? How on earth do you know that? Did she tell you?"

Kagome shrugged and shook her head. "No. The last time I saw her, I sensed it immediately. I guess congratulations are in order."

"But... she hasn't told me."

"Oh, she's been unaware of it. At least until today. I suspect that she's waiting at home for you to tell you the big news in person." Kagome's arm stopped its movements and her shoulders drooped. She seemed suddenly sad. "You should go now, Miroku. I'll make you an omelette another day, okay?" The sadness instantly vanished and she presented him with a sunny countenance.

Still stunned, Miroku allowed her to usher him to the front door and out to his car. Once he was ready to drive off, she reminded him to act surprised. He nodded, barely, and backed out of the driveway.

Back inside her house, Kagome decided that she needed to tell Sesshoumaru the news. In truth, she wasn't prepared to do so, but she could only delay for so long before he found out from someone else. Something like this was better off coming from her than from another person. After several minutes of deep-breathing, she picked up the phone and called him.

Jaken answered the phone. He was delighted to hear from the young miss and yes, he would get his master on the phone right away. While she waited for her step-brother to answer, Kagome began to feel faint. Her heart was pounding insanely in her chest and wondered, for a brief moment, if she needed to go to the hospital. Her heart was beating far so fast it was making her dizzy.

"Kagome! Hello, beloved! How are you?"

Kagome, who had gone into the kitchen, leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes tightly. A wave of sickness washed over her. _Here goes..._

"I'm engaged, Sesshoumaru."

Dead silence.

"To whom?" came the frosty response after what seemed an eternity.

She took another deep breath, feeling the room tilt crazily. She knew she wouldn't last long on her feet. "Yuki," she whispered, and opened her eyes. Everything around her was one big blur.

_Kouga... I'm so sorry..._

Kagome didn't pay much attention to the thundering roar on the other end. She wasn't able to. She'd already dropped to the floor in a dead faint.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

When she came to, she heard loud arguing nearby. She stirred slightly and a pair of warm hands were on her, smoothing her hair back.

"Sweetheart? Can you hear me?"

A woman's voice? Kagome frowned slightly. "Okaa-san?" she whispered, her voice trembling. The sickness hadn't passed.

"No, honey, I'm not your mother." A pleased chuckle. "But I'm going to be your mother-in-law, I hear."

Kagome's eyes flew open. Above her was Rini, her bright brown eyes shining with pure joy. "Yuki told us already, darling. I'm so happy for you both."

She sat up with Rini's help. "What... what's that noise?" she asked trying to look to see if she could see who was making all that noise.

Rini helped her get to her feet. "Oh, that? Just Yuki and that gorgeous creature with all that amazing silver hair who says he's your guardian." She grinned at Kagome and gave her a hug. "I take it they don't like each other much."

"You could say that." Kagome went out of the kitchen and made her way towards the loud racket in the living room. It seemed to be full of people. Sesshoumaru and Yuki were both red in the face and shouting at each other; Inuyasha was being held back by Hiro and Souta and Ryuji was sitting, quite peacefully on one of her sofas, sipping on a glass of what appeared to be whiskey.

As soon as she appeared, all eyes turned to her and Rini and the shouting ceased. A heavy silence followed, where Kagome felt heat coming from Sesshoumaru's eyes and she turned away. She knew he was terribly disappointed in her and she could feel that sink into her very bones. The hurt that radiated from his very soul tore at her and she wanted nothing more than to burst into tears.

"I'm... sorry, Sesshoumaru," she murmured, risking a look at him. "I never meant to put you through this."

The anger in his eyes dissolved instantly and he came over to her, scooping her up in his arms. "I know you didn't, beloved," he told her, holding her close. "And I'm sorry, too. I should have been in the kitchen with you instead of in here having a shouting match. You look weak. Have you eaten today?"

That familiar phrase caused her to laugh softly, ignoring the wave of nausea at the thought of food. She bowed her head and shook it, as though she were a naughty child. "No, sir."

"Oh, Kagome, you know how that makes me upset." He sighed. "Hiro, could you?"

"Sure. I saw you left some ingredients out for an omelette, Kagome. I'll let you know when its ready." Hiro shot Kagome a smile and exited the living room.

Rini eyed Sesshoumaru coldly. "I guess this isn't something out of the ordinary. You dare to order my sons about, sir?"

"I dare," he snapped, tightening his hold on Kagome. "Besides, Hiro knows as well as I do about Kagome's poor eating habits... _hush, my love_... and knows exactly what to feed her. As you can see, my hands are full with Kagome and since he's the only other person in this house who's dealt with her in this capacity..."

"It's fine, mom!" called Hiro from the kitchen.

"You see?"

"Excuse me, but could you put my fiancee down, please?"

Sesshoumaru turned a hard gaze on Yuki, who glared back at him with icy green eyes. "She doesn't need to ask your permission to do everything, you know. She's a grown woman who is perfectly capable of making her own decisions... and that includes getting married."

"Kagome's still my ward, Yamadera. Her care has been entrusted to me by my father and I will not let her go to someone if I find them unsuitable."

_"Oi!"_ Rini marched right up to Sesshoumaru and poked him in the arm that was wrapped around Kagome. "Unsuitable? My son is more than suitable for this young lady and I won't have you saying otherwise!"

The other occupants of the living room stood stockstill as Sesshoumaru and the yellow-haired woman were locked in battle of stares.

"Ano..." murmured Kagome, looking from one to other, wondering Sesshoumaru would say to Rini. _Goodness, the room was warm. Was it this hot in here earlier?_

"Your son has hurt my ward more times than I care to count, madam," Sesshoumaru said acidly but quite calmly, his eyes narrowing. "So forgive me for being unable to put him on a pedastal as you seem to have done," he finished, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"My son _loves_ Kagome!" the woman retorted angrily. "Its clear as day she loves him in return, for she accepted his proposal, did she not? So don't you start spewing nonsense, mister high-and-mighty!"

Gasps could be heard all around; Hiro's could even be heard from the kitchen. Kagome turned her face against Sesshoumaru's neck. This wasn't good. She felt even more ill than before. All this emotion around her, coupled with everything that had happened earlier, plus not having had a meal all day, made her feel extremely weak. Or perhaps... it was something else?

"Sess-houmaru," she whispered, resting her forehead against his throat. She could no longer hold her head up. The room was far too hot. "Please... stop..." She fell limp against him.

The second her flesh touched his, Sesshoumaru's eyes flew open. Out of habit he yelled, "Hiro! Call the doctor!" He bolted upstairs and took her to her room, where he lay her down on the bed. The sight of her flushed face nearly sent him panicking. Her forehead was hot and dry. Not a good sign.

"Kagome? Sweetheart?" He dashed into her bathroom, where he retrieved a towel and ran it under the cold water for a moment. When he returned, he saw everyone crowded into her room. "Get out! Get out of here!" he yelled, shoving people aside to get to her. "Hiro! Where the hell are you?"

Hiro's feet pounded up the stairs and he burst into her room. "He's on his way! What's wrong? Is it another fever?" he demanded, nearly shoving Inuyasha out of his way in his need to get to her side. He got to the bed and dropped to his knees beside her and Sesshoumaru, who was sitting next to her, wiping her face down with a damp towel. "Here, I got some ice and fever reducer."

Sesshoumaru flashed Hiro a look of gratitude and placed the bag of ice on her forehead. Her face was an unnaturally bright shade of red. "She's burning with fever," he muttered, moving the towel down to her neck and dabbed the towel along her heated skin. "What the hell happened?"

Shaking his head, Hiro poured out some of the medicine and handed it Sesshoumaru. Deftly, he took the cup from Hiro and poured it into his mouth. Then lifted her up gently and placed his mouth over hers, slipping the medicine into her mouth, making sure nothing spilled out.

This apparently, did not go over well with Yuki or his mother. Or Inuyasha, for that matter. All three of them began complaining when Hiro jumped up, shielding Sesshoumaru from them.

"Be quiet!" he spat furiously. "Sesshoumaru and I are the only ones in this room who have taken care of her when she's like this. There's no one I'd rather have taking care of Kagome than him. Now please, leave him alone!"

The sound of footsteps downstairs caught Hiro's attention and prompted him to call out, "Up here, Akira!"

The elder Morikawa jumped up and swung on Hiro. "What? You called your cousin instead of my--"

"Akira was on his way over anyway. I just told him to hurry it up."

When the doctor made his appearance in the room, green eyes narrowed. "Where is she?"

As one, the entire group stepped aside for Akira, who made a beeline for the sick woman's bed. After checking her vitals, he stepped back. "This is stress-induced, I have no doubt. From what Hiro's told me, her health had been shaky last year around this time." He turned a cold eye on Sesshoumaru, who scowled in return. "I've also heard that you've made her put together huge parties recently. Making her work so hard just to keep her away from my cousin was not a responsible thing to do, Morikawa-sama, especially knowing that her health was not strong to begin with."

Ignoring noises that sounded suspiciously like growls coming from Sesshoumaru, Akira shrugged. "But I'm thankful the two of you were here and knew what to do. Her temperature was very high when I checked it just now, but it was not dangerously high. Thanks to the prompt application of the ice and the dose of medicine, I would order you to keep a close eye on her for awhile. If there's no change within the next hour or so, I'd request that you take her to the hospital." He leaned down to touch her forehead and cheeks.

Sesshoumaru itched to punch the man, but he was a doctor and a competent one. Instead, he resumed his seat on Kagome's bed and called out to his younger brother. "Inuyasha, take Souta and go to the store. We'll need juice and some sports drinks, if you please."

Inuyasha cast a worried glance at the still figure on the bed and nodded. "Sure. Come on, Souta." The two left the room.

"Is there anything I can do?" Rini came up to Sesshoumaru, but her eyes were on Kagome. "Shall I sit with--"

"No."

Rini's eyebrows flew downwards. "I don't think it's appropriate for you to be in here alone with that sweet girl. Who knows what you would do to her?"

"Excuse me?" One of Sesshoumaru's eyebrows lifted up. He was highly displeased.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Rini did not bother hiding her dislike of him. "It's pretty obvious that you're in love with her, and as sure as I'm standing here, I know you'd do anything to keep her from marrying my boy. If you so much as lay a finger on her, so help me, I'll--"

That was too much for Sesshoumaru to bear. He shot to his feet and stood there, shaking with indescribable rage. Was the blasted woman suggesting that he would _rape_ Kagome? "_How dare you! _Do you think that I would harm Kagome in such a way?!"

"In order to get your way, I wouldn't put it past you!"

With that last heated statement, Hiro and Ryuji jumped in and quickly led Rini away and out of the room. This left only Sesshoumaru, Yuki and Akira alone with the sleeping Kagome. Resuming his seat, Sesshoumaru glared at Yuki, then turned away and grabbed one of Kagome's hands. As his thumb rubbed the back of her knuckles lightly, he just happened to look at her other hand. On her finger rested a delicately ornate gold ring, set with a large amethyst. He reached out and took hold of that hand to get a good look at the jewel.

"She loves amethysts," he murmured, laying it on her abdomen.

"Really? I'm glad. My mother picked the ring out. She thought that Kagome would appreciate it." Yuki moved forward, leaning heavily on his walking stick. "It looks wonderful on her."

Sesshoumaru looked up at the blond man, who was staring solemnly down at Kagome's peaceful face. There was something in Yuki's green eyes that made Sesshoumaru frown. He was truly upset at seeing Kagome like this.

"Yes, Yuki, it looks great. Aunt Rini has great taste in jewelry. Um, Yuki? I think you should sit down." Akira sounded worried. He took his cousin's arm and led him over to a comfortable looking armchair that sat against one wall. Akira had a feeling that Sesshoumaru, and possibly Hiro, had sat in that chair many times when Kagome was ill. "Are you driving?" he asked Yuki as he dug into his medical bag.

Yuki shook his head. "No, dad is. I wasn't able to step on the pedals without pain."

"That's not good, Yuki. Are you doing your leg exercises like I asked?" Akira knelt down at Yuki's feet, rolled up his pant leg and began examining his cousin's right knee.

"I don't feel like doing them everyday," pouted the handsome blonde. "Besides, I get busy with work...ow! I don't always have time to do them."

Akira grabbed Yuki's cane and popped him on the head with it. "I mean what I say, Yuki. _Do your exercises daily._ Right now, your knee is so weak that it gives you pain with the least bit of exercise. That is unacceptable. It needs to get stronger. The stronger it gets, the less pain you'll have. Got it?"

As Yuki grumbled good-naturedly while his cousin continued his lecture, Sesshoumaru watched with interest. He liked Akira. His bedside manner with Kagome was good and completely professional, despite the disparaging remarks he'd made about Sesshoumaru overworking her. Other than that, he seemed trustworthy and sincere.

Should he ask if Akira would become Kagome's personal doctor?

When the doctor was finished with Yuki, he got to his feet and turned to look at Sesshoumaru. "Just because I'm Yuki's cousin, doesn't mean I'm anything like him. If it's agreeable to you, I'd be more than willing to lend my services to you and this wonderful young lady." He reached into his wallet and withdrew a business card, handing it over to Sesshoumaru. "Excuse me." With a nod to Sesshoumaru, he left.

So it was down to two, thought Sesshoumaru sourly, looking over at Yuki. He was resting his head against the back of the chair, his eyes staring vacantly up into space with his right leg was stretched out in front of him

"Did he give you something?"

Yuki started and looked at Sesshoumaru. "Yeah, an injection."

"Does it hurt pretty bad all the time?"

Yuki frowned for a second, then smiled. "It aches mostly, but if I'm on my feet too long then it really starts to hurt. I guess I should start doing what Akira wants, huh?" He lifted his cane and began tapping it against his outstretched foot. "What do I need to do to convince you that I truly love your step-sister, Sesshoumaru?"

"You can't," replied Sesshoumaru shortly.

"Then what? What do I need to do?"

"Nothing."

"Huh?" Yuki shot the other man a confused look. "I don't understand."

Sesshoumaru shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention back to Kagome, whose color had returned to normal. He reached out and touched her cheek, finding it cool enough to satisfy him. "No man is good enough for my little one," he said quietly, removing the bag of ice from her head. "But... if this is what she really wants..."

"Sesshoumaru!" Yuki cried out happily but flinched when Sesshoumaru shot him a dark look.

"I haven't finished yet. As I was saying, if this is what she really wants, then I'll have to have you investigated thoroughly... and there will be a prenuptial agreement. My Kagome is an heiress and I will be damned if you try to get your hands on her money. I'd squash you so fast--"

"Hey! I have money, too, you know! What do you think I am? A pauper?"

"I've dealt with greedy men before, Yamadera. I don't like them. I like them even less if they try to target my beloved. They're sneaky bastards, but I know how to spot one a mile away."

Yuki jumped to his feet and pointed his cane in Sesshoumaru's direction. "The only thing greedy about me concerns Kagome. I want her all to myself and I don't want to share her with anyone. Not even you." Lowering the cane, he limped over to Sesshoumaru. "All the prenups in the world won't keep me from what I want, Sesshoumaru. I'd sign every single one of them to have her."

Sesshoumaru disliked Yuki even more now. What a stubborn man he was. Why couldn't he have gone after someone else? But... if this is what his little girl wanted... he'd do his best to keep her safe anyway.

He still didn't trust Yamadera Yuki.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A month later in mid-June, Kouga still hadn't reappeared and Kagome was terribly worried about him. The day of her wedding was drawing close and she needed to see him again, to explain... to apologize.

Today she sat in her bedroom, curled up on her bed. The sun was out in full force and it was a lovely summer's day, but she was unable to enjoy it. Ever since her engagement to Yuki, her health had backslid. Sesshoumaru was over every day to check up on her and twice in as many weeks, he'd arrived to find her passed out on the floor, burning with fever.

Akira was over at least every other day to make sure she was okay, unless the fevers had come back. Then he was practically camped out in her guest bedroom and came into her room to check on her every hour.

Miroku and Sango came over to see her, but she told Sango not to come in her bedroom. She didn't know if she was contagious and didn't want Sango or her baby to catch anything. Kagome had even asked Miroku to stay away until she got better, but he wouldn't hear of it.

"I've stayed away long enough," he told her irritably. "You can't keep me away if I want to be by your side."

At times, they would meditate together and Kagome would feel so relieved because during those times, she felt no pain... just peace. But then he would leave and the pain would come back. He had even given up asking her to reconsider marrying Yuki, which she was grateful for. She could sense his anger whenever he looked at her engagment ring, but he said nothing about it.

On this day after her most recent fever, Miroku had come to visit her by himself. She had felt particularily weak that day and couldn't even get out of bed, so it was little wonder that Miroku was alarmed at her appearance.

"Kagome! Sweetheart! You look so pale! I wish you'd go to the hospital," he told her, as he took a seat beside her on the bed.

But she shook her head carefully, for her head ached. "I'm not going to die," she said after a moment's silence. "Miroku, I want you to do me a favor."

"What?"

She lowered her gaze to her satiny green comforter that lay across her knees. "Call Kouga. Tell him I want to see him."

Kagome felt Miroku's body stiffen. He got up and walked to the end of her bed. "And tell him what, exactly? That you're going to marry Yuki after all? That you've been so ill and weak that you can't even leave your room?" His dark blue eyes were angry. "Do know what he would do if he knew this was going on? Do you know how it would make him feel?"

"Miroku, I--"

"He'd hate himself even more than he does already," he interrupted brusquely. "You can't keep tormenting him like this, Kagome. You and I both know he deserves better."

A tear ran down her pale cheek. "I only wanted to apologize to him," she whispered brokenly, "but you're right. Never mind then. Forget I asked." She slid down on the mattress and curled herself into a ball.

"You could stop this, you know, at any time you wanted."

"I know."

"Then why don't you?" he asked, his voice urgent, pleading. "You could end this right now and I'd call Kouga and he'd return, then you'd be happy again."

She shook her head. "I can't, Miroku. There's something that must be done first before I find my happiness."

The monk was silent for a few minutes as he paced around her room. At last he stopped and said, "I know why you're sick, Kagome. You are at war with yourself. One side loves this blond bastard and wants to be with him, while your other side yearns for Kouga. Its tearing you apart inside and because your body can't handle the stress, you're getting all these fevers."

A quiet sob disturbed the silence and he went around the bed to peek beneath the comforter where she had hidden herself. "Sweetheart, please don't cry." He stroked her hair.

"They both... needed me," she said between sobs. "I didn't know... who to choose. I love them both." She turned her face downwards, into the mattress. "Kouga... I'm so sorry! Tell him... tell him I'm sorry, Miroku. P-please."

Miroku sighed and promised her that he would tell him. With that, he got up and took his leave.

After he was gone, Kagome dozed off for a few moments before sliding out of bed and walking to her window. Her head ached horribly and she wondered if she should call Akira. But she shook her head. No, Akira had to rush to the hospital. One of his patients was critically ill.

This left her alone in the house.

Kagome thought that perhaps she should go downstairs to get a drink. It was awfully hot in the room, despite the air conditioning. Damn, this must mean her fever had returned.

She staggered to her door and out onto the landing, her hands reaching out for the railing. With painstaking slowness, she began her descent down the stairs.

About half-way down, her world whipped around too fast and her eyes closed to keep from seeing the room spinning wildly about her. Her eyes felt hot and heavy in her head and stomach roiled hideously. She began to panic when she realized that she couldn't move any further without making herself even sicker.

Grimly she clung to the railing, praying that someone, anyone, would come through her front door and help her.

Then, after what seemed like a hellish eternity, her grip began to slip. She began to teeter forward. "Help... me!"

she called to no one as she felt her body fall.

But there was no thud, no painful jarring of her brittle body against the stone floor at the bottom of the stairs.

Gingerly, she opened her dry, hot eyes and looked up.

Her eyes filled with tears when she saw a face she had been aching to see for so long. "Kouga," she whispered hoarsely as he lifted her up into the air and carried her back upstairs.

As he lay her gently on her bed, tucking her beneath one lightweight sheet, he knelt beside her and took one of her hands in his. "Didn't I tell you that if you ever needed me, I would be there for you?" he asked softly.

The tears spilled over and she began to tremble. "I'm sorry, Kouga. I'm so sorry I didn't trust in you. I hope you'll forgive me someday."

He shook his head. "It was a misunderstanding, darling. In your place, I would have thought the same thing." His bright blue gaze went over to the bedside table and he sighed. "I see that he won after all."

"Kouga..."

Kouga picked up the amethyst ring that sat on the table and examined it. "Don't, Kagome. It's fine, really. He was the better man, I guess." As he set it back on the table, he looked back at her face. "So, when is it and am I invited?"

Kagome burst into tears and Kouga gathered her up in his arms. "Now don't cry, baby girl. I'm here, aren't I? Right here with you." His lips placed kisses on her forehead, cheeks and nose. "I won't leave you again, I promise. I just... I just needed to be by myself for awhile. I think you remember what that was like." He chuckled against her hair.

Her arms went around him and held onto him tightly. "I love you, Kouga. I love you so very, very much."

"And I love you more than anything in this world, Kagome." He unraveled her arms from his torso and made her lay back down. "Sweetheart, listen. I'm going downstairs for a minute, okay? I'll be right back, I promise." She must have looked frightened, for he gave her a tender smile. "I'll be right back."

His lips brushed hers ever so slightly, then he was gone, his footsteps light upon the stairs. She waited fretfully for his return. When he finally did, she sobbed with relief. In his arms, he carried a bottle of sports drink, a bottle of water, a bag of ice and medicine. After making her take the medicine and asking her to take small sips of water, he told her to lay back down. He then place the bag of ice on her forehead.

"You've got a fever, my love," he said, placing his cool hand against her too-warm cheek. "I called Akira and he said he'd be right over." When she looked at him, puzzled, he grinned. "His business card was by the phone," he explained, letting his fingers trail lightly over her face and down to her neck.

"Oh," she murmured, loving the feel of his hands on her. It was soothing, what he was doing to her.

When she was beginning to drift off, she felt pressure on her lips and realized that he was kissing her. With as much passion as she could muster, she returned his kiss, bringing her hands up to touch his face. It was wrong, to kiss him like this when she was betrothed to another, but she needed to kiss him. Kouga was a source of comfort to her... and right now, she was in desperate need of it.

After several long minutes, Kouga's mouth stilled and he pulled away from her. "Akira," he said by way of explanation.

Akira came into the bedroom, with a smile ready for Kagome. "Hey, sweetie, I hear you've had yet another fever." He removed the ice bag from her head and waited a few minutes before he took her temperature. "Hmm, its a bit high, but not too high. I think that if Kouga hadn't come when he did, you'd be in dire straits right now." He frowned and checked her pulse. "I'm concerned, Kagome."

"How long has this been going on?" Kouga asked from the other side of the bed.

Kagome turned her head to look at him, but it was Akira who answered. "Since last month, two weeks after you left, Kouga. The very day Yuki proposed."

This time, Kagome turned her entire body away from Akira and curled up on her side, but Akira put his hand out to touch her shoulder. "It's not your fault, Kagome. Like I said at the time, it was due to stress and you have a weak body. I'd be upset too, in your place."

"Wait a sec. Just how much do you know?" Kouga asked abruptly.

Akira smiled at him. "I know about you and Kagome. I've known for awhile now, ever since Yuki's birthday. Hiro told me that you two were seeing each other. But don't worry, I won't tell Yuki. It's none of his business, now is it?" With a wide grin, he pulled back the comforter. "Here, lie down, Kouga. You look like tired. Don't worry about Yuki or Aunt Rini coming by. I'll tell them that Kagome needs complete rest and that I'm ordering her not to be disturbed whatsoever. Besides, I have a feeling that Kagome needs you right now and no one else. If you need me, I'll be downstairs." With a wink at Kouga, he left the room, closing the door behind him.

Kouga stared at the door for moment, then looked down at Kagome, who was watching him silently. He stripped down to his boxers and slid in beside her, his arms wrapping around her. She melted into his embrace and sighed against his chest. In her line of sight, she caught a glimpse of a slim gold chain around his neck. It lay askew against his chest and she was unable to resist hooking a finger around it and giving it a gentle tug.

Something heavy seemed to be weighing it down and with a frown, she moved back a bit in order to retrieve the heavy object. Pulling her hand back, she discovered that it was the engagement ring that Kouga had bought her. Looking up sharply, she found him studying her, his eyes alive with love for her.

"I couldn't bear to part with it," he told her, "because it was meant for you. A part of me even had hope that one day you'd wear it because you would have agreed to marry me." He kissed her forehead, which had thankfully, cooled considerably. "But perhaps one day, someone will look down on me and forgive me my past sins... and give me what I want most in the world." The look in his eyes wrenched at her heart and she pressed her face against his throat.

Her tears flowed once more and he held her to him. "Hey. Have I told you I loved you today?"

She nodded and held him closer. "Yes, but tell me again, please?"

He did. Over and over again until they both fell asleep.

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	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Chapter 23

Akira was watching television when Sesshoumaru showed up later that afternoon. As soon as Morikawa stepped into the living room, he blurted out, "Is Kagome okay?!"

The doctor nodded. "Yes, she's fine. Wait, don't go up there, please."

Sesshoumaru, who was on his way over to the staircase, looked over at Akira. "What? Why?"

Akira smiled. "She has company... and his name is Kouga."

For a long moment, Sesshoumaru stared uncomprehendingly at the young man sitting so comfortably on Kagome's sofa. Then he sighed, his body sagging. "Oh, thank god," he muttered, covering his face with his hands. "Thank heavens its not _him_."

"You don't like saying Yuki's name, do you?" Akira's steady green gaze followed Sesshoumaru as he slumped down onto the nearest chair. "Well, Yuki and I aren't exactly the best of friends either. I mean, we get along and I do care about him because he's my cousin... but really, getting to like Yuki is like getting a taste for beer. He's definitely an acquired taste. I hated him for the longest time because he ran away from home and made my Aunt Rini cry. Then I hear from Hiro all that he got into when they were living together. I hated him even more when he forced Hiro into his lifestyle." He leaned back against the sofa cushions. "I'd really rather have her marry Kouga. He's so good to her--"

"That's what I said, too. But she insists upon marrying that fool. I can't tell you how disappointed I am that she's chosen him. But anyway, you said she had another fever."

"Mmm, yes. But this time it was different. She'd gotten out of bed and was trying to make her way downstairs when she collapsed--"

Sesshoumaru's eyes bulged madly in his head. "I thought you said she was okay!" he cried, breaking out into a sweat. _"She fell down the bloody stairs?!"_

"Sesshoumaru, she--"

Morikawa jumped to his feet and began pacing. "This is serious. I'm going to have her installed in a one-bedroom house immediately!" As he reached for his cell phone, Akira sat up and put out a hand.

"No, its fine! You don't need to do that! She didn't fall, as it turns out. Well, her body _began_ to fall, but she didn't hit the floor."

Cell phone to his ear, Sesshoumaru turned to look at the doctor confusedly. "What are you talking about?"

Akira sighed and smiled at the other man. "Kouga was in the right place at the right time, Sesshoumaru. He caught her when she fell." He watched at Sesshoumaru as he stared at the floor and lowered the phone. "Then he took her upstairs and took care of her when he realized she was feverish. That's a good man right there, Sesshoumaru, and that's exactly what that poor girl needs. You know," he said, dropping his voice conspiratorially, "if you want me to sabotage Yuki's wedding, I will, just say the word."

Sesshoumaru looked askance at the doctor. "Um, no, that's okay. It would only upset my girl if something bad were to happen on that day and whatever upsets her, upsets me. No, all we can hope for is that he'll fuck up big time and she'll want to divorce him."

The doctor agreed wholeheartedly.

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Upstairs, Kouga lay, holding her in his arms. He'd dozed off for awhile then woke suddenly when Kagome moaned and shifted in her sleep. Her body felt a little too warm for his liking, so he moved away from her slightly. But the second he did, she whimpered in her sleep and reached out for him.

He lay still as her searching hands found him and grabbed him around the waist. Then she pressed her face against his bare chest again and sighed contentedly. "Mmm, Kouga..."

Kouga grinned and held her again, kissing her head. But his smile disappeared when he looked over at the bedside table. Her ring sat there and it was almost as if the thing was glaring at him. Damn Yuki! Thanks to him, he lost the most precious thing in his life.

Looking down at her sleeping face, Kouga felt sadness overwhelm him. If only there was a way to get her to leave Yuki. If only there was something he could say that would make her change her mind. But no, he'd done too many bad things in his life. He didn't deserve to keep this angel by his side.

With a sigh, he held her close again. It was going to be very difficult to watch her marry another man.

Excruciating, in fact.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Kagome was finally able to be fitted for her wedding gown. She was still very weak, but with Rini and Sango, she was able to get it done. Rini had been an incredible help with everything; she had thrown herself into arranging the wedding and reception with such vigor, even Sango got tired watching her deal with the florist and caterer.

Yuki came by to visit Kagome as often as Akira would allow. It was two days before the wedding when he was finally allowed to be alone with her. He sat down beside her and held her hand.

"I've missed you so much, Kagome," he told her, squeezing her hand gently. "How are you?"

She nodded. "I've been okay, thank you." She gave him a sweet smile.

He moaned softly and leaned over to kiss her. She melted into his embrace, her arms going around him. A moment later, he broke the kiss and dipped his head to kiss her throat. "I can't wait until the day after tomorrow. But I've waited this long, right? What's two more days?"

Kagome said nothing, but let him touch her the way he wanted to. She couldn't have fought him off if she wanted to; she simply didn't have strength. Besides, her throat had begun to hurt...

"Darling?"

"Yes, Yuki?"

"Why aren't you wearing your ring?"

She straightened, moving away from him, but his hand held hers. He was staring at her left ring finger, which was bare of any jewelry. With a sigh, she pointed at her bedside table, where the ring had sat for several days now. "It got too heavy for me to wear. I'm sorry, Yuki."

"No, don't apologize, sweetie. My mom was so taken by it that she didn't stop to think if it would be uncomfortable for you. You're so delicate, Kagome, so of course a ring this size would become cumbersome after awhile. Don't fret about it, okay?"

She nodded and he smiled dotingly at her, pulling her onto his lap. "Now, where were we?"

He kissed her again and she watched him kiss her. A feeling of something had just passed through her. What had it been? She didn't know. All she knew was that it had something to do with him. Him and danger.

Suddenly, a great wave of sadness swept over her and her arms tightened around him. She kissed him back so hard that he was startled. When he tried to pull away from her, she only clung onto him more stubbornly.

_Loss. Such terrible loss... if she didn't marry him._

Kagome refused to let him go for a long time.

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ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Yuki was nervous. Not just nervous. _ Terrified. _

He shifted his stance when his leg began to pain him and ran a finger inside his collar, thinking he really needed to loosen it. Damn, but he felt all but strangled! He couldn't wait to get out of this penguin suit/straightjacket.

With a sigh, he looked toward the back of the church, whose pews were pretty much filled to capacity. The guests were laughing and talking amongst themselves and several kept turning to the back of the church, waiting to see if the bride was on her way. That was when the butterflies came back in a mad rush. Soon he'd see his beautiful bride, his sweet Kagome. 'Man,' he thought, for what seemed like the billionth time, 'I don't deserve her, or this. Any of this.'

He still couldn't believe she wanted to marry him and he couldn't believe how everything turned out. Ever since she'd accepted him, he'd been on an emotional rollercoaster, what with her being so ill. Then, of course, he'd discovered that Kouga and the Kawase brothers were working for Sesshoumaru, which wasn't such a huge surprise. Morikawa could be incredibly persuasive, but it was probably more likely done out of revenge for stealing Kagome out from under his nose.

Today, he could see Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku were present and sitting on the side of the aisle that was reserved for Kagome's family and friends. Her little brother was there, sitting next to Kouga, who was chatting away quite comfortably with the black-haired man. Funny, it almost seemed as though they were very familiar with each other. But he shook his head. Impossible. Kouga and his guys weren't that close to Kagome and her family and Kagome never talked about him.

Yuki began to fidget with his cuffs, which had also mysteriously become a trifle too uncomfortable and turned to Hiro, who was playing the part of best man. "Oi, do you have the rings?" he asked nervously. _Oh kami! What if Hiro lost them? What would he do? _Sweat began to bead on his forehead.

Hiro grinned reassuredly at his brother. "For the hundredth time, Yuki, I have them." He reached into his coat and pulled out the rings. "See? Safe and sound."

Yuki grunted. "Well for heaven's sake, baka, put them back! I don't want you to lose them!" He whipped out a green silk handkerchief and dabbed at his forehead while Hiro chuckled softly, rolling his eyes.

Releasing another sigh, Yuki turned to stare out at the guests and wondered vaguely if Inuyasha dared to show his face. When he didn't see a single silver head out in the crowd, he breathed a sigh of relief...until he spotted Inuyasha coming down the aisle to sit on the other side of Souta.

His heart began to race. _So if Inuyasha was here, then, where the fuck was Sesshoumaru? Oh kami... Where the hell was Kagome? Oh shit! _

He looked down at his watch until he realized he wasn't wearing one today. Crap! Didn't he usually wear a watch? "What time is it, Hiro?" he asked, fighting the panic clawing its way up his throat.

Hiro clapped a reassuring hand on his brother's tense shoulder. "It's not time yet," he whispered. "Stop worrying so much! Everything will be just fine."

"Fine? Fine!" Yuki hissed furiously. "Inuyasha's sorry ass is here where I can see him, thank kami, but where the _fuck_ is his brother? Huh? Cuz I sure as hell don't see his tall, albino Lurch-looking ass anywhere."

"Stop talking that way about your future brother-in-law, Yuki. Don't you remember? He's walking Kagome down the aisle."

"Oh. Yeah." He scowled, shifting his stance. His leg was beginning to ache.

Then the music began to play. Everyone rose and turned and Yuki, nervousness and leg pain forgotten, turned also to greet his bride.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

She had been breathtaking. Her floor-length satin gown was ivory and adorned with tiny crystals that made her look as though she had been sprayed with diamonds. She didn't wear a vail, but instead, had her hair dressed up with ivory colored silk roses that were sprinkled with tiny crystals.

And when Yuki slipped his ring on her finger, he felt as though his life was finally complete. She was here, before him... and she was his wife.

When they walked down the aisle together, he caught a glimpse of Kouga and for a split second, he could have sworn the man gave him an ugly look. What the hell was Kouga's problem?

ooooooooooooo

Miroku, sitting in the pew behind Kouga, noticed Yuki's look of puzzlement. Of course, he knew right away what had just happened; he could see Kouga's aura and it was full of rage. Once the couple had passed, Miroku leaned forward and laid a reassuring hand on Kouga's tensed shoulder. They stayed like that until the church had emptied save for him, Kouga, and the Kawase brothers. Souta and Inuyasha left after a few minutes, leaving the four men alone.

Kouga got up and turned around to look at Miroku. The monk rose, too, as did Ginta and Hakkaku.

"Kouga?"

Matsuno shook his head. "I've gotta go, Miroku. I can't stay for the reception." He kept his eyes averted, but Miroku didn't need to look into those bright blue eyes to know that they were filled with heart-wrenching pain.

"What would you like me to tell her?" Miroku asked him softly, wishing there was something he could do to ease the agony Kouga was feeling.

Kouga began to shake his head, but turned away and sat back down on the pew, his shoulders shaking. The brothers looked over at Miroku with wide, stricken eyes and Miroku went around to sit beside Kouga, throwing an arm around him. "Damn it! I love her so much! I wanted to stop it. I wanted to rush up there and brain his head against the altar, but if this is what she wanted... if _he's_ the one she wants... who am I to keep her from that?"

"I know how you feel. I wanted to put a stop to it too. I'm so sorry, Kouga. I tried to get her to change her mind. I really did, but she--"

"I know and thank you. It was funny, hearing everyone saying that they wished she was marrying me instead. You, Sesshoumaru, Akira..."

Miroku started. "Akira? Are you serious?" He shot a look up at Hakkaku, who nodded.

Nodding, Kouga wiped his eyes with the back of his hands. "Yeah. Sesshoumaru said that Akira was even willing to sabotage the wedding. Can you believe that?"

"Wow, that's... great." Miroku patted Kouga on the back when a thought struck him. "Um, Kouga? Don't leave town tonight, okay?"

"Huh?" Kouga shot him a quizzical look, one solitary tear streaking down his face. "How did you--?"

Miroku shook his head. "Never mind that. Just don't go anywhere." He got to his feet. "I have to go to the reception. Remember this, Kouga. Kagome _loves_ you. She still needs you." Giving him a meaningful look, he turned and walked away.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

She smiled and smiled and smiled. When would she be able to quit smiling? Didn't everybody know she didn't want to smile anymore? Didn't they realize how upset she was?

She had seen Kouga give Yuki a dark, angry look as they passed by. So strong was his hate, that when she turned, she was nearly knocked over by his aura. It was so full of fury and pain that she didn't think she could make it down the aisle without passing out. But she did.

Now here she was, sitting beside Yuki... _her husband_. Oh heavens, what a strange word! Never in her life would she have imagined that someone would have wanted to marry _her_, but here she sat, beside the man she would call husband until the day she died, wearing a ring that symbolically bound her to him for life.

_And he was not Kouga._

Looking about the luxurious dining room of the super-expensive hotel the reception was being held at, Kagome took a bite of the delicious roast chicken that Rini had ordered the caterers to make, but paused when she had to swallow. Her throat was hurting again.

She turned to Yuki and asked him where Akira was. Yuki, who was talking and laughing with his mother and father, pointed at the other end of the table. She nodded and thanked him, then waited for his attention to be diverted onto his parents again before getting up and making her way to where Akira and Hiro sat together with Connie, Hiro's girlfriend.

The two men rose to their feet when she approached them, but Hiro resumed his seat when he realized that she was looking at his cousin.

Akira looked pleased and bowed to her. "My lady, what may I do for you?"

She came up to him and whispered in his ear. Akira nodded solemnly and followed her out of the dining room and led her up to his room. When they arrived, Akira went for his medical bag and grabbed his optical scope and asked her to open her mouth wide.

A moment later, he stepped back and shook his head. "Sorry, Kagome, but I don't see anything." He lay his scope down and began feeling on her throat. "What kind of pain is it? Is it dull, or sharp?"

"It's a sharp, stinging pain," she told him as his warm fingers massaged her.

"Hmm. I don't feel anything, and I didn't see anything." His hand clapped over her forehead, then smoothed down to the side of her face. "At least you don't have a fever, thank kami. Do you want me to come see you tomorrow afternoon? I'd like to examine you further if you still have any pain."

"Would you? Thank you so much, Dr. Yamadera. I'd like that." She bowed to him and followed him out of his room and back to the dining room.

When Kagome returned to her seat, Yuki leaned over and kissed her. "Darling, where did you go? I was worried."

"I had to go to the bathroom," she lied blatantly, smiling innocently back in his face. She felt bad about lying to him, but she didn't want him to know what was wrong with her. He'd worry and she knew that his leg was bothering him. She couldn't make him worry about her anymore, especially after all these weeks of being ill.

"Are you okay? You look a little pale," he told her, taking her hand in his. He kissed the palm of her hand. "Do you need to lie down?"

Crap! He was worrying about her anyway. "No, I'm fine. Actually, I'm not really hungry." Another lie. Admittedly, she was pretty hungry, but it hurt to swallow and the pain had gotten worse. When she was given a fresh glass of champagne, she took a sip then quickly put it down. Drinking the alcohol had stung like fire, leaving her unable to drink it. Even water hurt going down.

It did not take long for Rini to notice her new daughter-in-law's appearance and switched places with Yuki at the table. "Honey, you're really pale and you've barely touched your food. Do you feel sick?" She put a cool hand on Kagome's forehead and her face cleared. "Well, at least you don't have a fever. Perhaps it was too soon to have put you through this?"

The bride shook her head. Kagome had chosen this day for no particular reason other than she had envisioned it in a dream. So far, everything had gone in the right direction... and all she had to do was sit and wait. _But wait for what? _She still had no clue what was going on.

Later, when she went to dance with her husband, a wave of nausea and something else she could not put a name to overcame her and she fainted in his arms. Then, she became vaguely aware of Yuki shouting for someone. A pair of gentle hands were on her and Akira's voice was in her ear, asking her if she could hear him.

The nausea soon passed, but the something else remained and she began to cry softly against Yuki's chest. There was something dark looming over them, something evil. But it was not just that feeling of foreboding that had made her swoon. It was also the dance... _oh kami, forgive her!_ The waltz. She couldn't bring herself to dance the waltz with Yuki. It didn't feel right.

_It wasn't..._

_HE wasn't..._

"Kagome! Baby, what's wrong?" Yuki cuddled her to his chest and rocked her; his lips were in her hair, on her face. "I'm so sorry, honey! We should have waited until you were stronger. Oh, Kagome, forgive me..."

Then Akira's voice came through the fog in her confused and shattered brain like a calming beacon of light. "Take her home, Yuki. This girl isn't fit to deal with this right now. I told you before she wasn't ready for all of this."

And yet another voice came. It was so powerful and demanding that Kagome nearly smiled in spite of herself.

"If you've done something to my girl, Yamadera, I'll have this farce of a wedding annulled by tomorrow morning and you'll never lay eyes on her again!" That of course, was Sesshoumaru. He was standing very near her, for she could smell his cologne and practically taste his anxiety. He was scared for her, she knew. He had seen her ill so many times before; had even seen her at death's door. He had never gotten used to seeing her this way. "Akira! Go with them."

"Hey, now wait a minute here!" Yuki's voice was in her ear. Clearly he was upset and he clutched her tighter to him. Any tighter, and she wouldn't be able to breathe. "No one is going with us! I'm taking _my wife_ home and I'm going to be the one to take care of her!"

Kagome felt herself lifted into the air. She clung limply to him as he began walking.

"Damn it, Akira, where the hell do you think you're going?" her husband snapped, but he continued to walk out of the dining room and into the lobby of the hotel.

"I'm going with you," replied the doctor placidly. His voice was nearby, so he must easily be keeping up with Yuki's walking pace. "Morikawa-sama ordered me to, as well as your mother, and besides, I've got your cane with me. Hold on a moment."

They stopped walking and a moment later, they began moving again.

"Why do you have to carry that thing around with you all the damn time?" Yuki growled impatiently as they slowed down. Kagome felt him put her in a car and soon after, he was in there with her, holding her to him again. The door shut and a minute later, the car was moving. "Stop staring at me like that. You're weirding me out."

"I'm staring at you because I'm concerned, Yuki. From a medical standpoint, of course. I could care less if it 'weirds' you out. Besides, it's not really you I'm worried about. It's Kagome."

"You should have stayed behind. There's only one person Kagome needs right now and that's me, because I'm her husband."

"Yes, and _I'm_ her doctor, so what _I_ say goes. Which of us, right now, _at this very moment_, is most important for her, huh? Hmm, I certainly don't see a stethoscope around your neck there, Yuki."

"Shut your trap, Akira. You're just a quack."

"And you are a selfish bastard."

Silence reigned down on them until they reached Yuki's apartments. When they finally arrived, Akira opened the door and Yuki carried her into the living room and lay her down on the sofa. Akira shooed him away and told him to take a seat, which Yuki did. Silently, he watched his cousin examine his bride, who had finally seemed to have totally regained consciousness. She stared up at Akira, who was speaking softly to her and brushing the side of her face with his fingertips. Kagome's eyes fluttered as though she was falling asleep, so calm did she look.

When Akira's fingers moved down to her throat, Yuki felt a flare of anger burn through him. "Why are you touching her there?" he demanded, getting up.

"She complained of a sore throat," Akira told him, straightening. "I was asking her if she it was very painful."

Yuki looked from Kagome to Akira. "Well, give her something to make her feel better like you do with me and get out. She's my wife and my responsibility."

However, it was Kagome who answered. "It's fine, Yuki. I'm fine. I don't need anything." She sat up and looked at Akira. "Thank you, Dr. Yamadera. I didn't mean to put you through all this trouble." She flashed him a weak smile.

Shaking his head, Akira got down on one knee and took her hands in his. "You haven't been any trouble to me, Kagome, so you put that thought right out of your sweet little head. Now, what I want you to do is take it easy for the rest of evening. Don't let this fool Yuki upset you or make you do anything you aren't physically prepared for. I'll come by to check up on you tomorrow, okay?"

She nodded, giving him a grateful look as he kissed the back of her hands. Akira certainly was a gentleman, Kagome thought, watching him as he got up, grabbed his medical bag and left... leaving her alone with Yuki. _Her husband._

Suddenly, she felt extremely shy and she shifted on the sofa, remembering that she was still clad in her ivory satin wedding dress. _Her husband_ came over to her and sat beside her.

"Kagome," he said, reaching out to touch her face.

Kagome looked at him, eyes wide. What was going to happen next? Surely he wouldn't force her to do anything! Didn't Akira just make that clear to him?

But all Yuki did was kiss her, and she was grateful for that. She loved Yuki, but now was not the time for--

The pain in her throat hit her full force and she jerked back, a whimper of pain on her lips. She grabbed her neck and doubled over. Yuki cried out and she put out a hand to hold onto his arm. Weakly, she shook her head. "No, it's fine, Yuki. I'm okay."

"No, you're not!" he exploded. "You aren't fine and you aren't okay! I'm calling Akira back here." He got up to grab his cellphone, but Kagome as up on her feet and grabbed him around the waist, holding him back.

"No... you can't..." she gasped, squeezing him harder. The feeling of doom from earlier had returned at the same moment as the pain, only it was closer and more ominous. The time was very near now...

Yuki turned in her arms and held her. "But darling, you're hurting. I don't want you to be in pain. Is there anything I can do? I want to help you."

His kindness touched her and for a moment she nearly cried. "There's nothing you can do, Yuki. I'll live." Reaching up, she pulled his head down to hers and kissed him. For a moment, she was swept back to that day on his balcony, where they stood, oblivious to the rain and the world around them. She knew... she _knew,_ without a doubt, that whatever was supposed to happen was karma, and not the good kind. The very thought made her heart ache for him, because deep down, Yuki was a good man and he deserved to be happy.

"Kagome." His lips moved against hers and he said her name again. "I love you so much," he told her, kissing the corner of her mouth.

_Not for long..._

She pushed him away as the tears began to fall. "I hope you remember that I love you, too. Please, don't forget that I love you, Yuki." Her fingers went to his face and lightly traced the scar that ran down the side of his face.

There was a finality in her voice that made him pause. A frown creased his brow and when he opened his mouth to speak, she shook her head. "I'm sorry, Yuki, but I need to lie down for a bit. Where is my suitcase? Sesshoumaru had one of his maids bring it over earlier."

"Oh yes, it's in my... I mean, _our_ bedroom. I'll go get it, okay? Just lie back down and I'll be right back."

She nodded and sat back down on the sofa, listening to his soft footsteps go down the hall and to his room. Her eyes closed as she heard him grab hold of her luggage and then came the sound of a thunk. It had opened, spilling all the contents on the floor.

Kagome held her breath, waiting. Everything that was happening right now, she had seen in her dreams last night. She wanted so badly to stop it, but to do so would be disastrous. It was either her or him..._ and she had chosen him._

oooooooooooooooooooooo

Her suitcase had sprung open, its contents spewing forth out onto his bedroom floor. Yuki sighed heavily. Poor girl had an old suitcase, so no wonder it sprang open so suddenly. Tomorrow he would throw it out and get her a new set of luggage.

With some difficulty, he got down on his knees and began to pick up her clothes.

That was when he found it.

It was a piece of paper, a letter hidden within the silken folds of her one of her nightgowns. Frowning, he picked it up and stared at it. At first, he didn't know what it was, but it was written in a _very_ familiar handwriting. Casting a quick look over his shoulder to make sure Kagome wasn't in the room, he began to read it.

It didn't take long to realize just _whom_ the letter was from. He'd seen this particular handwriting enough to know Kouga's fist.

But this was no ordinary letter. _It was a love letter._ A love letter from Matsuno Kouga to Higurashi Kagome. Yuki's mind went blank for a moment and his world stood still.

He didn't understand. How was this possible? He had never seen Kouga show any interest in Kagome, or she in him.

_"You love me, Kagome,"_ it began, _"I know you do. You've told me you do. I don't know why you keep on pretending to love that fool, Yuki. You and I both know he'll never love you the way I love you and he'll never treat you the way you deserve to be treated. After awhile, you'll discover that he's nothing but a sorry bastard who thinks only of himself. Just come back to me, my beloved, my Kagome. _

_"Do you remember all the good times we've had? I had never been happier while we were together. It was sheer pleasure just being given the opportunity to hold your little hand in mine and feel you in my arms. They ache to hold you again, Kagome. _

_"Kami, I love you. I love you more than life itself. Leave him and be with me. Be my wife, Kagome. I will love you for the rest of my life and I'll be the man you need. If you ever, EVER need me, call me. I'll be there for you as fast as I can._

It was signed, _"With all my Love, Kouga."_

No words could describe the feeling that washed over him. All he knew was that pain was a huge part of it. Kouga... and Kagome? Together? But... that couldn't be! It just couldn't! How could he not have known?

As he continued to stare at the paper, his head began to ache, then pound. He got to his feet and leaned heavily against the wall; he shut his eyes against the agony in his head.

_"Yuki, I... There's something I think you should know..."_

His eyes flew open. What was that? Hiro? Yes, it sounded like Hiro's voice inside his head, haunting and distant. And then... another voice. His, this time.

_"What are you saying? What's going on, Hiro?"_

_"Yuki..."_ Hiro's voice again, hesitant, reluctant to say anymore.

_"Tell me, Hiro. Is something going on between you and Kagome? I won't have it, you hear me? I won't --"_

What? Hiro... and Kagome? Never! Hiro would never...!

Hiro's answer was soft... sad. _"Not me, Yuki."_

Unable to stand any longer, Yuki limped over to his bed and dropped heavily onto it, still clutching the letter but not seeing it as he held it in front of him. His mind was envisioning something else... A memory, perhaps? The doctors _did_ tell him that he had suffered from some memory loss and were not sure if he would ever remember what happened before his accident.

Rubbing his eyes with the back of one hand, not sure if he wished to remember what happened that night, but he relaxed and let whatever was being held back, come forth. He wanted to know.

_"Who, then?" _ he heard himself asking Hiro.

His mind seemed to skip over something and he heard Hiro's dreaded answer. _ "Kouga. She and Kouga are dating, Yuki. They have been for awhile now."_

Ignoring the persistent ache, Yuki's head shot up, his eyes staring wildly about the room. Then his gaze dropped to the Kouga's letter. _"I had never been happier while we were together"_, it had said.

She had lied to him. Kagome _had_ dated Kouga...

_"I won't do this! He loves me!"_

That day at the hospital, when she yelled at him... he'd thought it was Sesshoumaru. But it wasn't. It was Kouga she had been referring to.

Oh, gods, he was hurting...

Again, his mind skipped around until...

_Them, together._

That's right! Oh dear god! He had seen them together! She had been curled up against Kouga, his arms were around her... _and they were kissing. _Kagome had let Kouga, a man who would never be able to scrub the blood of all his victims from his hands, _touch her_. She had never let _him_ touch her like that...even though he wanted to. Damn, how he wanted to!

_Kagome... _

_The one woman who had managed to make him want to settle down and have children... the one woman he had wanted more than life itself... had lied to him._

_She had lied..._

Taking it out into the living room, he abruptly began to read the letter in its entirety to Kagome, who only stared back at him with sadness in her eyes. There was dead silence for a long time after he'd finished.

Yuki stared at his pale-faced wife and wondered what the hell to say to her. What _could_ he say? He hadn't known about any of this. Of course, he really shouldn't have expected Kouga, much less Kagome, to have said anything to him about them having a relationship. Even so...

"Why didn't you tell me, Kagome?" He braced himself against the balcony doors and looked out through the glass to the brightly lit city beyond.

"Yuki... that letter... I can explain..."

"How long?"

"How long, what?"

He glared at her. "How long did you see him?"

"Almost six months. If you'll let me just explain.."

He pressed his forehead against the cool glass and shut his eyes. "You could've told me about Kouga. Why didn't you say anything?" he muttered, ignoring her soft plea.

"How could I? At that time--"

Yuki's fist smashed against the glass door in a sudden burst of anger. Miraculously, the glass did not shatter, nor did it crack. But it _did_ wobble a bit.

"I'm not talking about then, Kagome. I'm talking about now, damn it!" he cried, waving the letter in her face. He didn't care that he hadn't given a shit about her then. During that time, all he'd wanted was to make her pay for dismissing him. "How could you have started dating _him_?!"

"You didn't care about me then," she replied simply, echoing his thoughts.

His gaze never left her face. She looked ill, but right now he didn't really give a shit. There were a couple of things he still needed to know. "Do you love him?"

Kagome bowed her head and nodded weakly. "Yes, I love Kouga."

Noise like a strangled cry managed to escape his throat. He knew he shouldn't pursue this any further, because after all, whom did she marry in the end? But his pride was bruised and battered knowing that Kouga had had Kagome before him. How many women had he had since she'd initially turned him down? He didn't want to think about it, but there had been quite a few. Really, he had no right to complain, just because she'd had a relationship with a guy he _thought_ he trusted.

Unable to look her in the eye, he stalked over to the wet bar and began fixing himself a drink. A _strong_ drink. "Did he have you?" he asked bitterly, gripping his glass.

She gasped. "Excuse me?" Her voice shook. She couldn't believe he would ask something like that of her.

He took a healthy swig of vodka before slamming the glass on the counter. It shattered, sending pieces of glass and vodka everywhere. Ignoring the tears that stung his eyes, he turned to face her. _"Did he fucking sleep with you, Kagome?" _he choked out.

Kagome jumped to her feet. "How can you ask me that, Yuki?" She began to back away when he started moving forward. "Yuki? What's the matter? What's the --"

His memory was now complete. Perhaps it was vodka that triggered it, or perhaps his brain was just on a roll, but he then was finally able to remember why he was on those icy roads to begin with. He had begun drinking at home after Hiro had called him, telling him not to come over because Kouga was with her and then he remembered running out of her house to his car. He had gotten in, feeling so incredibly hurt at seeing her in the arms of another man, but he didn't know why he should feel this way and it had scared him, so he ran... ran away from the look on her face. He didn't remember the look! How could he have forgotten it?

He recalled driving away from her house, feeling more wretched than he'd ever been in his life. He hated her, yet at the same time he...

"The accident," he spat, putting a hand to his thrumming head. "My leg... my face... my hand..." His slitted green eyes slid over to where she stood, fear staining her face. _"I'm like this because of you!" _

Fury flew through him. With a yell, Yuki brought his left arm up and backhanded her across the face. She cried out and was knocked back onto the sofa, her hands covering her face.

"You... _filthy bitch!_ First I find that you've lied to me this entire time about seeing someone else, and now... _and now I find out that you're responsible for my... my..._" He sputtered, his hands shaking uncontrollably. _"I'm a fucking cripple because of you!" _he roared.

"No, Yuki, please..."

"You let me leave! You _knew_ I was fucking drunk! What the fuck were you thinking?! I thought you cared about me! Did you want me to die? Is that it?" His head was throbbing like an engine and even though, somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he shouldn't be doing this. But he had to blame someone!

"No, I didn't want you to die, Yuki! I do care! Please--"

_"Shut up, bitch!"_ His fist came down and landed a blow on her cheek, while tears fell unheeded down his cheeks. "You lied to me! I thought we were friends! You could have told me you didn't love me... that you loved _him!_ You didn't have to fucking lie to me..." He stumbled backwards, his hands over his face. The pain in his head was unbearable. It was so strong, he could even feel his scars burn.

A small tug on his sleeve caused him to look up. Kagome stood there, her pale face reddened and swollen on one side, with her hand reaching out to him. "Yuki," she whispered as a single tear slid down the untouched side of her face. "Please..."

But all he could see was a woman that had torn his world apart. "I hate you," he spat, bringing his hands up and clutching her by the upper arms. With a growl, he picked her up and slammed her down on the glass coffee table. He stared down at her unmoving body for a moment, then bent down and ground the side of her head into the shards of glass. "There. Maybe you'll get scars on your face too, and then we can match. You know, Kagome," he said, rising to his full height and feeling unbelievably calm despite his massive headache, "it was an interesting ride we went on together, but like all things, it must come to an end. And this is where you get off. You'd better be out of here by the time I get back."

And then he was gone.

Kagome lay still. Her throat was in agonizing pain and she knew it had been sliced open. She could feel something warm and sticky staining the bodice of her wedding dress. She tried calling out, but no sound came out. What would she do?

_Miroku... help me..._

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

At home, Sango was already in bed and Miroku was rubbing her feet while they watched a comedy on television. He'd been worried about Kagome all day and wondered if she'd felt that sense of evil lurking nearby during the reception. Perhaps it was nothing after all. Maybe those two were home right now, consumating their marriage...

Sango burst into laughter and Miroku started. Damn, he missed the joke. Oh well...

A sudden feeling of pain shot through his neck and he fell forward, landing on his knees on the floor beside the bed. Sango cried out in alarm as Miroku began spitting up blood. When he was able to sit back on his heels, he wiped the blood off with the back of his hand and stared with surprise at it. What the hell---?

_'Miroku... help me...'_

Miroku's head shot up. "KAGOME!" he screamed and quickly dressed. Sango got out of bed and was asking him what was wrong, but he told her he was needed elsewhere. With that, he raced out of the front door.

On the road, he called Kouga. Thankfully, it was Ginta who answered for him. Kouga wouldn't be able to handle something like this. "Ginta! Grab Kouga and your brother and head over to Yuki's apartment _now_!"

"What? Why?" There was a note in the elder Kawase's voice that told Miroku that it was a good thing he wasn't dealing with Kouga right now. Ginta was by far the more sensible of the trio.

"Don't ask why, baka, but I want you to bring a digital camera. Oh yes, call Akira and come armed." He hung up.

They met in the lobby of the apartment building and took the elevator up. All three had looked at Miroku curiously, for he still had blood smeared on his mouth.

"What's this about?" Kouga asked warily. His face looked haggard and drawn; his eyes were red-rimmed. "Do you have to put me through more pain, Miroku? This isn't funny."

Miroku shook his head. "This is far from being funny, Kouga." The bell dinged and a moment later, the elevator doors slid open. They exited the car and began walking down the hall to Yuki's place, but Miroku paused suddenly and threw out his arms, forcing the other men to stop. "Wait. There's something..."

Kouga inched forward and saw that the door was ajar. He slid his hand back and pulled his gun out of his waistband. Putting a finger to his lips, he slipped inside the apartment. It was almost dark, except for a lamp that had been left on in the living room.

Narrowing his eyes, he could hear someone moving around, probably in Yuki's bedroom. Sure enough, a moment later, a shadowy figure came down the hall and went into the living room. It was man, Kouga realized with some surprise. And it wasn't Yuki.

The man chuckled maliciously. He was staring down at something on the floor and smiling. "It seems that your husband isn't here, Mrs. Yamadera. Where is he? Oh, can't speak, can you? No matter." The man's hands went to his waist and began undoing his pants. "If you won't speak, then I'll just have to make you scream."

It didn't take long for Kouga to snap. She may be Yuki's wife, but he'd be damned if anything happened to her. He was in the living room and had the man by the throat before the guy's pants dropped to his knees. _"You bastard. You dare harm this girl?"_ He put the man in a headlock and merely waited for him to pass out.

That was when the lights came on and Kouga could see. With a horrified yell, he dropped the man where he was and was by Kagome's side.

Miroku and the Kawase brothers also got a good look of the shocking scene before them. Ginta leapt forward and pulled Kouga away from Kagome. "Don't! Not yet, Kouga, not yet. Hakkaku, hurry up!"

Hakkaku quickly took some pictures and then Ginta released the enraged man from his grip. Miroku stood still, completely stunned at the sight. It was all here, the glass... the blood... and Kagome lying in the midst of it, unmoving.

Kouga, tears streaming down his face, gently turned her over on her back and had to choke back a sob. The right side of her face and neck were cut badly, but the worst of it was at her throat. "Oh god, oh god," he moaned and looked around him in a dazed fashion. "What do I do? Oh god, what do I do?"

"Don't panic, for one," admonished Ginta. "Put pressure on her throat, Kouga, until Akira gets here."

Following Ginta's orders, Kouga held her against him with a chunk of his shirt that he'd ripped off to place against her wound. He repeatedly apologized to her, telling her that he loved her and to forgive him for not getting here sooner.

About twenty minutes later, Akira arrived, his countenance grim. It became even grimmer when he saw Kagome lying in Kouga's trembling arms, soaked in her own blood.

"Dear god," he murmured, quickly examining her. "Did _he_ do this?" He motioned to the strange man still passed out on the floor.

Miroku shook his head. "No. Yuki did."

Everyone stared hard at the pale-faced monk. "What?" Hakkaku asked, frowning.

The monk shut his eyes and took a deep breath. "Kagome... showed me everything that happened. Don't ask me how, please. It would take too long to explain, but..." He went over towards the balcony doors and picked up the sheet of paper that had caught his attention. He glanced at it, then handed it to Kouga. "He found your letter and everything came back to him. Yuki remembers what happened the night of his accident... and he blames Kagome for everything that happened to him. That's why the right side of her face is cut so badly. He wanted her to be scarred on her face too, just like him."

"That... son-of-a-bitch!" Akira exploded furiously. "What the fuck was he thinking? It was _his_ fault that he was wasted out of his mind!" He got up, pure hate glowing in his green eyes. "Get up, Kouga. The free clinic I volunteer at isn't too far from here and I need to get those wounds cleaned. Ginta, Hakkaku, get Kagome's things together and bring them with you and give them to Miroku. I want you both to stay with that guy until he comes to and find out what the hell he was doing here."

"What'll we do with him afterwards?"

Akira shrugged. "I don't give a damn. Beat the shit out of him, for all I care."

Just before Kouga followed the other four men, he looked down at her left hand. "Miroku? Take off her ring, please." The monk did so without question and placed it on the dining room table. "She won't need it anymore. When Sesshoumaru gets wind of this, he'll annull this marriage for sure."

In the elevator going down, Miroku glanced at Kagome. "Sesshoumaru. How are we going to tell him about her? He's going to be furious."

Kouga said nothing and only held her closer to him. The entire front of his shirt was saturated in blood, but he didn't seem to mind or notice.

Thankfully, they met no one in the lobby and got Kagome outside and quickly bundled into Akira's car, which was parked in the front of the building. Kouga had left his car keys with the brothers, while Miroku followed Akira to the clinic.

Once he got her cleaned up and under pain killers, Akira began the task of pulling the pieces of glass out of her face and neck. She had been lucky; the largest shard had imbedded itself into her neck, barely missing her jugular vein.

Kouga and Miroku stood nearby, looking on. Kouga was a complete wreck but remained by her side, wincing everytime Akira removed another shard of glass. Akira then asked if he needed some valium. But the answer was a firm 'no'.

After awhile, the Kawase brothers arrived just as soon as Akira finished patching up Kagome. Kouga and Miroku both looked at them as they sauntered in, grins on their faces. It was obvious they had just enjoyed a good beat-down.

"Well, what happened?" Kouga asked, clutching tighter to Kagome's cool, limp hand.

Hakkaku's grin got bigger. "We kicked his ass," he replied, giving his knuckles a good crack.

Ginta shook his head. "He didn't mean _that_, baka. Apparently, that guy was supposed to rub out Yuki."

"Eh?!"

The brothers nodded. "Yeah," continued Hakkaku. "He was hired to kill Yuki, but thanks to all this," he indicated Kagome with a wave of his hand, "he just missed being murdered. Can you believe that shit?"

Putting a hand over his eyes, Miroku groaned. It was beginning to all make sense. "So _that's_ why she chose to marry him and marry him on this particular day." He lifted his head and saw everyone staring at him. "Kagome knew something like this was coming. So did I, but I didn't piece it together like she did. The letter... Sesshoumaru's maid packed her suitcase and somehow, the letter got into it. If he had rummaged around in it, he was sure to find it. She had to know reading the letter would trigger something in his brain. Kagome had been very calm about it, when she told me that she knew something bad would happen to her. She'd already accepted what was going to happen."

"But why put herself through all that to save his life? He's not worth it," muttered Kouga nastily.

Miroku shook his head disconsolately. "She really _does_ love him, Kouga. Besides, I think she did it for his mother too. Rini-san has already gone through the pain of losing her son once and she very nearly lost him again when he had the car crash. Imagine her reaction if she discovered that her son was murdered." He went over to touch Kagome's face. "She had a choice, she told me tonight when we were waiting for Akira to arrive. It was either him or her and she knew that she would live if she hadn't made the choice to marry him. But if she had refused him, he would most likely be dead now."

"Hmm. What did you do with that guy?" Akira asked, cleaning up.

"We tied him up and left him there unconscious. What a surprise Yuki'll have when he comes back!" Ginta hooted with laughter.

"Kouga, what are you going to do now?" asked Miroku, who'd been watching Kouga for the past few minutes.

Kouga heaved a sigh, then turned serious blue eyes on the monk. "One thing's for damned sure. I'm not letting her remain in the city. Tonight, I will take Kagome someplace safe. No one knows where it is, especially not Yuki. Ginta, you and Hakkaku go to Sesshoumaru and tell him what's happened. Thanks for the foresight to ask them to bring the camera, Miroku. Show Sesshoumaru the pictures you took and wait for his further instructions, but don't tell him where Kagome and I are. If he asks why, tell him I'm afraid for her safety. I'll get in touch with him in a few days." He picked Kagome up and walked out of the room with her.

The others followed him outside and to his car. Ginta opened the passenger side for him and Kouga set Kagome down inside. He asked Ginta to pop open the trunk and grab the blanket that was in there. Once he had her nicely wrapped up, he buckled her in and closed the door. "Call me when you guys are done with Sesshoumaru," he ordered, going around to the driver's side of the car, while Miroku put her luggage into the backseat.

"Hey! Will you need help? I can send Kaede to you," Akira offered, locking the doors to the clinic. "She's extremely reliable." He handed Kouga a small bottle of pills. "Here, this should take care of her pain for a few days."

"Okay, thanks." Kouga appeared to consider the doctor's offer. "Perhaps. If it should prove too much for me to handle, I'll call you and let you know." He put his leg in the car, then paused. "Oh, Miroku. Thank you. If it hadn't been for you, there's no doubt she'd be dead now. How you knew everything is beyond me, but I'm certainly grateful to you. I'll keep in touch." With that, he slid into the car, started the engine and drove away.

ooooo

Two hours later, Kouga pulled into a long driveway and drove up to a darkened two-story house. After parking his car, he got out and unlocked the front door. He turned on some lights and went upstairs to turn the light on in his bedroom before heading back downstairs and outside to gather the still-sleeping Kagome in his arms.

Shutting the front door behind him with his foot, he carried her up the stairs and lay her down on his bed.

Later, after he had undressed her, put a kimono on her and tucked her into bed, he sat beside her, staring down at her. She was so pale, so fragile-looking by the light of the lamp beside his enormous bed, he thought as he took her ringless hand in his. The left side of her face was a deep, ugly shade of purple and quite swollen.

His vision swam and he fell to his knees beside her, his face buried against her belly, where he sobbed like a child. "I'm... so sorry I wasn't there for you, Kagome! Forgive me! Please... please forgive me!"

When his sobs subsided somewhat, he changed into some sleepwear and slid in beside her. For a long time, he was unable to sleep, but when he could feel it coming on, he scooted close beside her and slid his hand across her body and pulled her to him.

"Hey," he whispered in her ear, "have I told you I loved you today? No, of course not. You were too busy getting married to another man, but that's okay. It doesn't matter now. I love you. I love you so much it hurts, little girl. But like I said, its okay. You're here with me, and I won't let anything happen to you. I love you, Kagome."

As he drifted off to sleep, Kagome stirred against him. She sighed in her sleep and turned in his embrace. _'I... love you, too... Kouga...'_

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A/N: Okay, before you guys say anything, this was supposed to happen in the story, not because I wanted to make Yuki look like a monster or because I'm secretly voting for Kouga. I mean... um... oops. . Yuki knows I love him! . Actually, parts of this chapter were part of the original draft, written a few months ago when I first came up with the idea for this story.

But anyway, if you want to keep voting for your favorite guy, go ahead. i'm still taking votes. If you want to know the standings so far: Sesshoumaru - 2, Yuki - 10, and Kouga - 15.

I hope you Yuki fans don't get too mad at me for this chapter. It was hard enough writing it with him acting like a crazed lunatic.

Peace,

Raven Skye Blackhawk


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Chapter 24

Miroku, Ginta and Hakkaku pulled up to the gates of the Morikawa mansion and buzzed the house to let them in. It was Inuyasha who answered. He was puzzled, but he agreed and opened the gates for them. As they drove slowly up the drive, Miroku could feel the tension weigh like lead on them. This would be a most unpleasant task to undertake. How does one tell a man like Sesshoumaru bad news of this magnitude?

"I'm gonna be sick," moaned Hakkaku from the back seat. "Oh my god, I'm gonna hurl."

"Not in my car, you're not," Miroku told him sharply. "My woman would _kill_ me if I let some guy puke all over himself in here. Then I'd have to kill _you_ for ruining my leather seats, man."

"Hakkaku, just hold it in, man," Ginta admonished his brother quietly from his seat beside the sweating monk. He was leaning back in the bucket seat, eyes closed, looking relatively calm.

Miroku glared jealously over at him. How could he be so freaking calm at a time like this?!

A very tired-looking Jaken greeted them at the door and led them into some sort of living room where Inuyasha was sitting alone, watching television. He raised a hand and got to his feet, somewhat unsteadily.

"Oi! It's kinda late to be here, don't ya think?" asked Inuyasha with a frown. "Whaddya want?"

Miroku went over to him and leaned in close to the white-haired man's face, taking a long sniff. "You've been drinking, Inuyasha. That's not good."

With a laugh, Inuyasha waved him away. "Drinking _is_ good, Miroku! Didn't you know that? It comforts you when you feel pain..." He trailed off, his yellow-eyed gaze sliding off to the side to stare into space. Inuyasha blinked then, and a few tears streaked down his face on either side of his nose. "He made me go, you know? I didn't wanna, but he forced me to. Damn bastard, always thinking he's controlling shit. All that power he has, has gotten to his head, Miroku. Next he'll think he owns the fucking world--"

"Who made you go where?" Miroku interrupted softly, not wanting to upset the drunken man any more than he had to. Of course, he already knew the answer.

Inuyasha sniffed mightily and returned to his seat, curling his legs up under him. "Sesshoumaru. He forced me to go to Kagome's... to the... to the wedding. Said that if he had to endure giving her away to another man, then I sure as hell could endure watching it." He picked up his bottle of liquor and tipped it back. There was silence for a moment as he drank some more and seemed to watch tv, then he without turning to his guests he asked, "But he was a goddamn liar, 'cuz I... I couldn't endure it. Fucking Yuki..." Inuyasha turned his head away, his chest hitching for a moment as he struggled to regain his composure.

He went on, his voice so soft the others could barely hear his words. "Why did you come here so late at night, anyway? Sesshoumaru's out like a light by now. He had to take his sleeping pills again, like a drop or two of this shit wouldn't work just as well." He held out the bottle and sloshed the contents around, his gaze fixed upon the amber liquid.

"We need to speak with him. It's urgent," Ginta said quickly.

Inuyasha shook his head. "That's impossible. When he takes his pills, he doesn't wake up until morning and--"

"What's this about?"

Everyone turned to see Sesshoumaru standing imperiously in the doorway, his long hair was swept up into a ponytail and his elegant figure was clad in pearl grey silk pajamas, leather slippers and a royal blue robe. A cool, less-than-pleased gaze swept over everyone in the room, but came finally to rest on the monk.

"If this was a social call, everybody would not be looking like the world was about to come to an abrupt and nasty end. Speak, monk," he ordered sharply.

Miroku took a deep breath and began to speak. The elder Morikawa's eyes burned through him as he told the horrid tale and when he could take no more, he looked away from that searing stare. But by then, he had thankfully finished the story. "Ginta," he said in a low voice, "the camera, if you please."

Ginta pulled the camera out of his pocket, messed with it for a moment, then handed the whole thing to Sesshoumaru. Watching him do this, Miroku felt nothing but respect for Ginta. The guy hadn't even broken a sweat.

As Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha (who had come over and was peeking over his brother's shoulder) looked through the gruesome pictures, Sesshoumaru's face tightened with fury. _"That... filthy bastard!"_ he snarled. For a moment, Ginta wondered if he would throw the camera against the wall. But Sesshoumaru did not and instead, he called for his butler. The little man came at a run.

"Jaken! Get me the phone!"

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama!"

Inuyasha, whose face had turned quite pale, dashed out of the room, his hand clapped over his mouth. Miroku felt bad for him. It must have been hard enough for him to watch Kagome get married to someone else, but to see her lying in a pool of her own blood...

When Jaken returned, Sesshoumaru grabbed the phone from the butler and quickly dialed a number. "Yes! Mrs. Hachibana! Hand the phone to your husband, please." He said nothing for a moment, then, "Hachibana! Get up and get to your office. Yes, I'm well aware of the time... no, I don't care. This is an emergency. I want an annullment of the marriage of my ward to Yamadera Yuki and I want it _now_. No, I don't give a damn about that, just get started on it!" Miroku and the others flinched as Sesshoumaru's voice grew more and more hostile.

Sesshoumaru began pacing around the room. "A reason?! _I'll give you a fucking reason!_ That scum-sucking bastard beat the shit out of her only a few hours ago! _What more goddamn reason do I need?!"_ he roared at the hapless man on the other end of the phone. Shutting his eyes, Sesshoumaru finished in a lower, but no less deadly tone, "Just get it done, Hachibana, and I'll triple your fees. I want it finalized first thing in the morning. _**Don't **fail me._" He hung up.

All the others breathed a sigh of relief... until he picked up the phone again and dialed yet another number. He waited a minute then said, "Hello, Naraku. _No_, I don't give a fuck if you _are_ in the middle of the best lay ever. I _need_ you to gather your men and scour Tokyo for Yamadera Yuki. He won't be hard to spot. He's blond with a limp; he favors his right leg. He also has a two scars on his face, one of which extends from his temple down his right cheek, and the other cuts across his right eyebrow. I'll have Jaken send you a picture of him... Yes, it's a recent one. I want him _found_, is that understood? What? Of course I want his worthless carcass alive. I don't feel like covering up crimes you've committed..." Sesshoumaru scowled and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "Yes, disposing of human trash _is_ considered murder, you idiot. Anyway, when you find him, bring him here. I want to deal with him _personally_."

Again, the other men flinched. Yuki was fucked, _royally_.

"Oh, so you want incentive, do you? Okay, well how about this? That bastard beat Kagome into a bloody pulp and deserted her on their wedding night. How's that?" Sesshoumaru smirked when he had to move the phone away from his ear. Something like a shout could just be heard erupting from the phone. "So I guess you'll do as I say, Naraku? Good lad. I'll be expecting to hear from you soon."

After sending Jaken away with the phone and instructions to send Yuki's picture to Naraku and to download the pictures from the camera, he turned to his guests. "Where is she?" he asked, his voice now soft and pain-filled. It was hard to believe that this was the same man who, just moments ago, snapped at his lawyer on the phone. "Is she safe?"

Miroku nodded. "Very. She's with Kouga. He took her out of the city, but where, I don't know. The only ones who know where he's gone are Ginta and Hakkaku."

Sesshoumaru regarded the brothers solemnly. "I won't ask where he's taken her, but if he wants to tell me, then fine. I'm thankful he's with my little one. I know she's completely safe with him, so tell Kouga that I trust him implicitly. If he needs anything, money or assistance, just get in touch with me and I'll be happy to lend him a hand. All I ask is that she is taken care of. Kagome..." He stopped and turned away from them. "I hope he'll let me see her soon. Thank you, gentlemen and good night."

When Sesshoumaru swept out of the room, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"That went better than expected," Ginta commented.

Hakkaku nodded, then smiled broadly. "Hm. Hey, I don't have to puke anymore!" he cried with jubilant relief.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The next day, Sesshoumaru had been awakened to the news that the annullment had indeed been granted. But of course, it was mostly due to who he was. The judge who had granted the annullment had been a close, personal friend of his father and was more than ready to help Morikawa's eldest son. Judge Hadori Myoga had also been the one to grant the young Sesshoumaru guardianship of his deceased stepmother's children, Kagome and Souta.

He had called Sesshoumaru the moment after the weary-looking lawyer staggered out of his office with the signed papers. "Sesshoumaru? Good morning."

Sesshoumaru's voice was deep with sleep. "Hmm? Judge Hadori? Oh, good morning, sir." He felt like crap. That was usually the case after having to take his sleeping pills.

"Your lawyer has just been to see me. I've signed the papers, Sesshoumaru. I'm... exceedingly sorry to hear of your ward's predicament. If there's anything I can do..."

"No sir, thank you. It's enough that you've put an end to it. I'm eternally grateful to you."

The judge sighed. "You'll want to press charges against him, I gather."

"Oh yes, without a doubt, but I'll have to find him first," Sesshoumaru muttered, sitting up in bed. "Thankfully, I have the best scouring the city for him as we speak." He grinned for a moment, then it faltered and disappeared. "He'll find him, of that I'm certain."

"Sesshoumaru! Don't tell me you're still in _league_ with that scoundrel!" the judge exclaimed reproachfully. "I don't know how many times I've warned you about Naraku. That boy is nothing but trouble."

Getting to his feet, Sesshoumaru stretched lazily. "My father used him too, sir, as well as his father, Onigumo."

There was an undignified snort on the other end. "Yes, I warned your father about that one, as well. I've said it before and I'll say it again, those two men are the scum of the earth! Honestly, Sesshoumaru! You business tycoons sure know to pick with whom you do business with, don't you?"

Unable to help himself, Sesshoumaru laughed. "Naraku would be pleased at such high praise, sir. But I use him because he's the best and besides, we grew up together. He's a friend of mine, if you recall."

The judge sighed. "I could never talk your father out of it and apparently, I am unable do the same with you. You Morikawas are a hard-headed lot, aren't you? Oh well, keep me updated and if you need my assistance, don't hesitate to ask."

Sesshoumaru thanked the judge and hung up.

ooooooooooooooo

Hachibana had been hard at work and was pleased to present the papers to Sesshoumaru just after nine o'clock in the morning as the businessman was having breakfast. The lawyer had even been given a peek at the pictures of Kagome and felt instantly sick, but said nothing. Poor girl, he thought, handing them back to his employer.

Sesshoumaru sighed with relief. "Thank you, Hachibana. The money will be transferred to your account in one hour. Have you notified the Yamadera family of this?"

Heaving a sigh, Hachibana nodded. "Yes, sir. A copies of the annullment were sent to their home and Yuki's home by courier about thirty minutes ago."

"Hmm." Taking a sip of coffee, Sesshoumaru stared off into space. "They should be arriving any minute, then. Are you certain you won't have some breakfast?"

"Oh, no thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama," Hachibana murmured politely. "My wife will be wondering where I am. I should go soon. Sir? What about the newspapers? Did you keep news of the wedding a secret?"

Heaving a groan, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes in a pained sort of way. "Damn it all, I forgot about that. I'd be willing to bet _that woman_ put wedding announcements in every single paper from here to Tibet. I'll have to have my secretary send out retractions saying it was all a hoax... and of course I'll have to contact all the guests to say nothing about this." He set his drink down and ran a fingertip absently along the rim of the cup. "What a bloody mess this has turned out to be. I love my ward more than life itself, but damn it all, I hope she never gets married again."

Confused, Hachibana frowned. "You mean because of the cost of the wedding?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "No, because I'm afraid a repeat of this day will occur if another man manages to drag her down the aisle again. _You_ don't want me calling your house in the wee hours of the morning to draw up annullment papers again, right?" He sighed sadly. "I can't believe I went against my gut instinct on this. I thought it was just jealousy talking that kept me from allowing this to take place--"

The sounds of feet descending the stairs told Sesshoumaru that his little brothers had finally gotten out of bed. Souta was chattering cheerfully away, accompanied by Inuyasha's grunts and groans. Just as Souta and a very hungover Inuyasha walked into the dining room, the sound of the doorbell went off. Sesshoumaru's gaze slid over to the exhaused-looking lawyer and smirked. "Well, well. Guess who's at the front door?" he chuckled.

Jaken went to open the door, but was immediately flung to the side as a fair-haired whirlwind rushed inside and headed straight for the dining room where Inuyasha and Souta were standing outside the door, looking puzzled.

Sparing them not a glance, the yellow-haired woman brushed past them with Hiro hot on her heels and headed straight for Sesshoumaru, who was busy taking another sip of coffee. He looked up, as though he hadn't heard her barge into his home and gave her a pleasant smile. "Good morning, Mrs. Yamadera. What brings you here on this lovely morning?"

Rini's brown eyes blazed with anger. "Don't give me that bullshit, Morikawa! What the hell have you done?!" She waved some papers practically in his face as his lawyer looked on in stunned horror.

Sesshoumaru recognized the papers, for his own copy was still sitting before him. He tilted his head to the side and regarded her with interest. But instead of answering her query, he picked up one of the pictures and held it out for her to see. "I think the question here, madam, is _what the hell has your son done?_"

As soon as she recognized the blood-covered figure in the picture as Kagome, her eyes flew open and she clapped her hands over her mouth. Shaking her head, she looked away. "No, that's not right. Yuki... wouldn't do that. He loves her. He'd never hurt her." Silence followed and she turned back to him. "Is Kagome okay?"

Setting his coffee cup down, he picked up a piece of toast and began slowly to butter it. "Hmm, let's see. Your son slapped her, then punched her in the face and then slammed her body down onto his glass coffee table. She had a piece of glass embedded in her neck and the side of her face that he _didn't_ hit was ground into the broken glass on the floor. On top of that, he just walked away and left her. _You_ tell me if she's okay."

Hiro took hold of his mother's arms and led her to a chair nearby, where she sat, motionless. After a minute, she shook her head in totaly disbelief. "But... why?"

"Why? Because he remembered what had happened to him the night of his accident and he blamed her for his drunken driving, that's why."

Rini continued to gaze at him as Sesshoumaru took slow bites of his toast. Her ire rose and she slammed her hand down on the table. "How can you sit there so calmly eating toast?! Aren't you worried for Kagome? Because to me, it looks like you don't give a damn!" she snapped.

Sesshoumaru's eyes shifted suddenly and he glared at her. "You dare question my concern for my ward? I love that girl and if you _must_ know, at this very moment she is with someone I trust completely to make certain that she's taken care of and is safe... and far away from your son."

"You bastard! You can't honestly believe that Yuki would do this! My son did _not_ do such a terrible thing! Don't you dare suggest it! He loves her! That was probably done by someone trying to rob them!"

"Then where is he? Tell me why he can't be found, _madam_. If he loved Kagome so much, why has he abandoned her?" Sesshoumaru jabbed a finger at one of the picture he had shown her earlier. "He hasn't even returned to his apartment today. And don't say he was kidnapped, for he walked out of the building calmly enough. Security cameras don't lie."

Hiro stepped in to comfort his mother. "How do you know this? Are you having his place watched?"

Sesshoumaru turned his laser-like gaze on the young man. "What do _you_ think? I have the best investigator money can buy. He called me earlier, just before my lawyer arrived." He nodded at Hachibana.

Again Rini's fist came down hard on the table. "So now you're _spying_ on my son? Just how low will you stoop to destroy him?!"

This time, Sesshoumaru did not hold back. His hands came down hard on the table's surface, causing the entire thing to tremble and he got to his feet, pure rage burning in his eyes. "_Destroy?_ Look what he's done to her!" He grabbed the picture and shoved it into her face.

With a hiss, Rini snatched the picture out of her face and threw it on the ground. "What proof do you have that he did this to her? Huh? Were you there in the room when it happened?"

"Jaken! Phone!"

ooo

An hour later, Miroku was ushered into the dining room where Rini was pacing frantically. Sesshoumaru and a strange man were sipping coffee and talking quietly. Miroku later discovered that this was Hachibana, the poor lawyer that had been dragged out of bed the night before.

"Good morning, Sesshoumaru," Miroku said with a bow. He had just arrived at the Higurashi shrine and had changed into his robes when his cell phone had gone off. After telling Kagome's grandfather he would be back as soon as possible, he took off for the Morikawa mansion.

Now Morikawa turned and set his cup down. "Ah, Miroku, come in. Mrs. Yamadera, I believe you've met this young man. He's a good friend of Kagome and as you can see, he's a monk."

"Your proof is a man dressed as a monk?" she snapped, her tone skeptical.

Miroku glanced from Sesshoumaru to Rini and began to speak. He told her the things he had been shown by Kagome, everything that Yuki had done to her. He even told her about the things the two of them had experienced before the attack had happened. "I know this must all sound strange to you, but I assure you, everything Kagome and I saw in our visions has come true."

But still, Rini staunchly believed in her son's innocence. She refused to listen to anymore and told Miroku to stop spewing such vicious lies about her precious boy. "He hasn't done anything wrong!" she cried, eyes once again going to Sesshoumaru. "Just you wait and see! Something terrible has happened to my boy and all you can think of is hunting him down like an animal! Come, Hiro! I'm sick of looking at this man." Whirling around, she stormed out of the dining room and out of the house, her son trailing behind in her wake.

Miroku sighed. "I'm sorry I wasn't of any help, Sesshoumaru," he said quietly. "But you know really, we have no physical proof he did anything other than what Kagome relayed to me. I think we should just wait until she can tell us herself."

"I'm inclined to agree," Sesshoumaru answered, sitting back down. "But no matter. Kagome is safe and now no longer that fool's wife. That's all I care about."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Three days later, on a hunch, Hiro went to Yuki's business office to try to find him. He hadn't been seen since the day of his wedding and their mother was very worried now. But sure enough, Yuki was there, sitting at his desk and apparently very relaxed in his smoke-filled office. He was looking over some papers, a sweating glass of amber liquid near his right hand and a cigarette protruding out of his mouth. A couch that sat alongside one wall was covered with a couple of blankets; a pillow with an impression of a head was lying on one end. So he'd been sleeping here, then.

The moment Hiro stepped into the office, Yuki looked up, disinterested. He peered through the smoke. "Yeah? What do you want?" His gaze dropped down to the papers again.

"Yuki, mom has been looking everywhere for you. She's worried about--"

Yuki waved a dismissive hand at him. "Tell her not to be. As you can see, I'm very much alive." He turned the page on top of the stack over and began reading the one that had been beneath it.

Hiro frowned. "Mom wants to know what happened that night, Yuki."

"Nothing happened that night." Yuki inhaled.

"But it was your _wedding_ night, Yuki."

"Exactly. Nothing happened." Again, Yuki looked up, removing the cigarette from his lips. "A word of advice, little brother. _Never_ get married." He exhaled and tapped ash from his cigarette into a glass ashtray close to his hand. "Women are all liars."

Hiro shook his head uncomprehendingly. When Yuki returned his attention to the papers, Hiro rushed forward and brought his hands down on the desk. "What's wrong with you? Just what went on that night? Yuki, please don't tell me you had anything to do with Kagome's injuries!" Yuki said nothing and he went on furiously, "So that _was_ you! What were you thinking? You could have _killed_ her, baka!"

The blond man waved him away. "That is of no concern to me, Hiroshi. Now please... get out."

"Like _hell_ I will!" Hiro pointed an angry finger in Yuki's face. "Do you know what you've done to her? Hell, do you know that Sesshoumaru has men searching the entire city for you?"

With a shrug, Yuki took a drink of the amber liquid. "I really could care less."

Hiro lifted his hand and knocked the glass out of his brother's hand. The glass landed unharmed on the floor, spilling its contents which immediately soaked into the carpet. "You fucking _need_ to care, Yuki. You are in so much damned trouble! Not only with Sesshoumaru, but with the police. You _assaulted_ her, for heaven's sake! If you're lucky, you'll land into the hands of the police first. And then there's the person who put that hit out on you..."

For the first time since Hiro came into the room, Yuki's eyes held a spark of interest. "A hit... on me? What are you talking about?"

"That night when Miroku, Kouga and the Kawase brothers went to retrieve Kagome, Kouga came across a strange man in your apartment. He stopped the man from raping Kagome, you know."

"I don't care about that, Hiro. What about that guy in my house?" Yuki swiveled around in his chair to grab another glass and his bottle of whiskey.

Staring with disbelief at his cold-hearted brother, Hiro shook his head. It appeared that the old Yuki was back. "Ginta and Hakkaku worked him over pretty well and the guy spilled the beans about the hit, but they didn't give any details."

"I see. Okay, thank you, Hiro. You may go now. Tell Ginta to get in touch with me so I can--"

"I can't believe how callous you are, Yuki. Just three days ago you were so happy to marry the girl you loved and now... now you act as though that day never happened."

Yuki shrugged and leaned back in his swivel chair. "It never should have, Hiro. I mean, look at all the money I spent and for what? Not a damn thing. It was the most wasteful endeavor I've ever invested my money in." He heaved a tragic sigh and rubbed his forehead with his hand. "Well, its too late now, but at least I know it's over with. Hey, I'm thinking about going out tonight. Wanna come? It's not like I have any obligations now to hold me down now."

This was going too far, Hiro thought maliciously. "What do you mean it's over with?" he asked, trying very hard to restrain himself from slapping his brother silly.

"Oh, come on, Hiro. I'm not stupid, you know. Sesshoumaru has already had the marriage annulled, now hasn't he? I'll bet he was just itching to call his lawyers the moment the ceremony was over. Well, he's gotten his wish. Heh, I already ditched the ring. Got a pretty penny for it too. I totally pawned that sucker." Yuki flashed his brother a toothy smile. "So what do you say? Boys' night out? I hear there's a new club that's opened up on the other side of town and I wanna check out the competition. It's called Kaze no... something. Come on, Hiro, let's go. I'll pick you up around eight for dinner first, okay?"

Listening to his big brother talk about the annullement in such a light-hearted fashion made Hiro sick to his stomach. How much shit had he put Kagome through before he finally chased after her and finally wed her, only to beat her senseless? And then pretend as though everything that had gone before had never happened? Damn, his brother had shit for brains.

"How can you... _act_ like this, Yuki?" he asked, shaking his head sadly, his voice trembling. "How can you sit there and act like nothing's going on? You beat your wife on your wedding night then deserted her. You had some guy who was out to kill you... and now you've got Morikawa super-pissed off and after your ass? Where's your head at? You're in some serious shit, man."

Yuki glared irritably up at Hiro. "Acting like my conscience again, are you? You know, I can do without that kind of harassment, little brother." He stubbed his cigarette out and lit another. "Do you even want to know why I left her ass? Because she's the reason I'm like this. I'm a freak now because of her. A goddamn cripple."

Hiro shook his head slowly. "No. No, that's not right and you know it! Kagome loves you--"

Shooting up out of his chair, Yuki leaned over his desk to put his face in Hiro's. _"Shut the fuck up, Hiro!"_ he roared, emerald eyes burning with rage. "That little bitch lied to me the whole fucking time I was going after her! All she had to fucking say was that she was with someone else! All she had to do was tell me she didn't... that she didn't love me..." His voice broke horribly, then died.

With concealed surprise, Hiro noticed that Yuki's hands were trembling. His dark gaze swept up to Yuki's face and saw that he was staring off into space. There was so much sadness and hurt there, Hiro thought with a glimmer of hope. "You still love her, don't you."

Yuki jumped and quickly concealing his despair, brought the intense green lasers back to Hiro's face. "What? Oh, hell no! What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Yuki, you can't lie to me, you know. I can see right through your anger. You still love her."

For a moment, Hiro believed that Yuki would break down and cry... but it never happened. Instead, the blond man pulled himself together with great effort and took a deep drag off his smoke, smiling cooly. "I don't give a shit about her. So, you comin' with me tonight, or what?"

'Believe what you want, Yuki,' Hiro thought sadly. Aloud, he groaned softly. This evening would be a disaster, he just knew it. "Sure, I'll go."

"Great. Now get out so I can get back to work."

oooooooooooooooooooo

Later that day, Rini was sitting at home, sobbing in her husband's arms. She was so worried about Yuki, who was still missing, but she was worried for Kagome as well. That poor, poor girl! Whoever did such a heinous thing to her, deserved whatever the law threw at them.

As her sobs subsided at last, Ryuji kissed the top of his wife's head. "My love, please lie down for awhile. You've been crying for hours now and I'm worried about you."

"No!" Her arms wrapped around his waist and she held tightly onto him. "Don't leave me! I need you here with me!" she wailed pitiously.

Patting her back, her husband chuckled softly. "I thought I only had sons. I wasn't aware I had a daughter as well."

Rini pouted and pushed him away. "You're not funny, Ryu," she sniffed, wiping her eyes with a kleenex, "and I know what you're getting at. I'm not childish in the least bit."

"Mom! Dad!"

Hearing her son's voice, she jumped up from her seat and ran across the room to throw herself at Hiro, who'd just walked into the living room. "Darling! I've missed you!" She snuggled against her son's chest, refusing to let him go, even when he tried to walk further into the room.

"Oh, mom," sighed her son with a rueful smile, returning her hug. "I came by this morning to check on you, remember?"

"So? Can't I miss my youngest baby?" She sighed contentedly against him, her arms wrapped around him like a vise. "My little Hiro was always _such_ a good boy to his mommy."

While a blushing Hiro was gently trying to pry his mother from his body, Ryuji leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. "Did you find your brother?"

Hiro nodded. "Yes, dad, I found him."

Rini's head jerked off Hiro's chest and she stared up at him with instantly tearful eyes. "And? Well? Where is he? Is he okay? Is he hurt? How's his leg? Does he know about the--"

Cupping his mother's face in his hands, Hiro kissed her forehead. "Yuki's fine. I found him working at his office, but about the whole annullment thing... he's already figured it out."

His father sat up. "How is he taking it?"

"He doesn't really care, dad. Yuki said he's glad that it's over and done with. He said he's gotten rid of his wedding ring already and," he went on, bracing himself, "he practically admitted to assaulting Kagome."

That sent his mother into another fit of weeping and she did it into his shirt, soaking it quickly. Hiro glanced worriedly over at his father, who sat quite still in his chair, apparently thinking things over. After a few minutes, Ryuji looked up at his youngest son with dark, blazing green eyes.

"Hiro, I want you to keep a close eye out on your brother. That boy has caused too much trouble for us, especially for your mother. I'm tired of him making her cry."

Rini shook her head. "No, Ryu, don't say that!" She turned pain-filled, tearful brown eyes to her husband. "Whatever Yuki may have done, he's still our son. I don't like what he's become, but I'm thankful for that car accident and for Kagome being by his side. For a short time, he was our little boy, the way he _should_ have been. I believe with all my heart that the side of him that we saw, is his true side." She smiled encouragingly at her husband.

"Dad, mom, there's something else. I don't know if this makes you feel any better, but when I told Yuki that Kagome loved him, he looked really sad. Personally, I think he's still in love with her, but he refuses to admit it."

"You mean there's hope?" Rini murmured.

"I really don't know, mom," her son replied, holding her close. "He hurt her pretty badly. I don't know if she'd be willing to forgive him for what he's done."

Rini stepped away from Hiro and looked up at him. "I want to see her," she said suddenly, fire dancing in her brown eyes.

"Mom, I don't--"

"Find out, then!" she demanded. "I wish to see with my own eyes how she's doing. Find out at once, Hiro."

Hiro groaned wearily. "Mother, I don't know where she is and don't bother asking Sesshoumaru. He doesn't know where she is, either."

"Hmph. I wasn't planning on talking to that pompous ass again," she retorted with a sniff. "A man like that has no business playing guardian to two vulnerable children like Kagome and her brother."

"But they both love Sesshoumaru, mom. I've seen how he treats them, you know. He loves them both very much and taking care of them is high on his list of priorities."

Rini scowled. "Is that so? Well, tell me why she isn't under his watchful eye right now?"

"Because Kouga took her someplace safe, I was told."

"Kouga?" Rini looked startled.

Hiro nodded. "Yeah. Matsuno Kouga. He used to work for Yuki. Anyway, Sesshoumaru trusts Kouga completely. In fact, he'd have preferred Kagome to marry Kouga instead of Yuki."

His mother looked thoughtful. "Does this Kouga have black hair? Really silky, beautiful black hair and this amazingly built body?"

"Rini..." her husband grumbled warningly.

Hiro looked from one parent to the other, uncertain if he should be in the room. "Um... yes, he does as a matter of fact. How do you...? Never mind. I don't think I want to know," he muttered quickly and began to back away.

Grabbing her son's arm, Rini turned and flashed her beloved husband an innocent smile. "Oh, Ryu, don't be so jealous! I've seen that particular young man once or twice before and I can't help it if I noticed how gorgeous he is. Hmm, I _do_ recall saying how adorable he and Kagome would be together. Oh yes! I also called him a sexy beast." She giggled. "My, my! Does he have a girlfriend?"

Looking sharply over at his where his father sat, jealousy pouring off of him in waves, Hiro shook his head. "He _did_ have a girlfriend, as a matter of fact. At least he did until Yuki butted his way in and tore him and Kagome apart. It was a great shame, really. Kouga is much better suited to Kagome than Yuki is... or was, rather. Everyone was pushing for her to stay with Kouga. He's a really nice guy mom, you'd like--"

"No she wouldn't," Ryuji broke in abruptly, getting to his feet. "You're not going within 100 feet of that man, Rini. Do you hear me?"

Rini and Hiro stared over at Ryuji with wide, identical eyes. "Uh, mom? You haven't been sleeping around on dad, have you?" Hiro asked out of the side of his mouth.

"Of course not, Hiroshi, don't be ridiculous. The very idea is ludicrous." Rini patted her son on the face before going over to her glowering spouse. "Your father is just jealous. Aren't you darling?" She went to Ryuji and slipped her arms around his neck. "You know I can't hold back what I feel. That boy was incredibly good looking, Ryu. I just had to say so."

"Hmph." Ryu's green eyes glittered dangerously down at his wife. "You know I don't like it when you lose your mind over good-looking men, Rini. You're not married to them; you're married to me, damn it."

She smiled and pressed a kiss on his chin. "But you should have heard what I told Yuki. I told him what an animal you are, Ryu," she purred in his ear. "My big, sexy dragon."

Ryuji's face turned bright red and Hiro couldn't help but cover his eyes. "Oh my god, mom, do you mind?!" Hiro cried, horrified, wishing he could grow a second pair of hands to cover his ears. Or perhaps maybe Kami-sama in his wisdom would just strike him deaf!

But his dad couldn't help but chuckle. "Really? An animal, huh?" He slid his arms about his wife. "What else did you say?"

Hiro couldn't take anymore of his parents' lovey-dovey antics and rushed from the room, feeling slightly ill. When the living room door shut and locked behind him, Hiro whirled around, heart in his mouth. 'Oh no, please tell me they aren't!' he thought to himself as he heard his mother's giggle and his father's deep laugh. "I'll never go in that room again!" he threatened, yelling at the living room door. "God, you guys, go upstairs to do... do... _that_! You just bought those sofas!" There was no answer and he scowled. "Oi, what about Yuki? What do you plan to do about him?"

His father's head appeared around the door, causing Hiro to jump violently. "Hiro, look at it this way. Yuki has made his choice and we'll stand by him through whatever. But right now there's nothing any of us can do and your mom is... whoa. Come back in two, maybe three hours, Hiro. On second thought, come back tomorrow. Bye son."

As the door closed on the hideous act of his parents pressing flesh, Hiro fought back the faintness he felt washing over him in great waves. Turning, he staggered blindly out of the front door and straight to his car, where he collapsed against it. Was he fit to drive? Hiro wasn't sure.

But in the midst of his traumatized mind, Hiro wondered how Kagome was faring. Even if his parents (dear god in heaven, the humanity!) weren't giving her a second thought, _he_ was.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

When Hakkaku and Ginta arrived at Kouga's house earlier in the afternoon, they found Kouga in his bedroom, sitting beside the bed where Kagome lay sleeping. He was watching her unblinkingly, as though he was afraid something would happen to her if he _did_ blink.

"How's she doing?" Ginta whispered, startling Kouga.

Kouga turned in his chair to see and the brothers waved him over to where they stood. For a moment, the already dazed Kouga looked at a loss, seeming to wonder if it would be okay to leave her side. It was Hakkaku who decided for him. He went over to Kouga, hauled him out of the chair and dragged him out of the room.

When the door was closed behind them, Ginta patted the man's back. "Hey, it's not like she's going anywhere. Those are pretty powerful painkillers that Akira gave her."

"Yeah, but still..." Kouga murmured and looked down at his feet.

"She's knocked out," Hakkaku told him bluntly.

Ginta jabbed his brother in the ribs. "Shut up, Hakkaku. Can't you see the man's worried? Anyway Kouga, we've got some good news for you. Sorry we didn't get in touch with you earlier, but we had to get ready for the Kaze's opening last night. The annullment was a success. Apparently, Sesshoumaru's got a friend who's a judge. "Did we mention that Sesshoumaru is having Naraku come up to Tokyo to look for Yuki?"

Kouga shook his head absently, but came alert when a sound could just be heard from inside his bedroom. He whirled around and quickly opened the door. But he heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that she had only turned over on her side, her back to him.

"See? She's fine," Ginta whispered in his Kouga's ear. "Don't worry so much."

"I can't help it," moaned Kouga, shutting the door again. "I fucked up big time, guys. I should have beat the shit out of Yuki and taken Kagome before they exchanged vows."

"But you didn't and perhaps that was a good thing. According to Miroku, she knew she had to marry him and to disrupt what was supposed to have happened would have upset her. You wouldn't want that, would you?" Kouga shook his head and Ginta went on, patting his friend's shoulder. "It can't be helped, Kouga. It's all said and done now. No use worrying about it anymore."

"I can't help it, though. I have to worry. This is Kagome we're talking about here." He turned to open the door, but a pair of hands restrained him.

"Look," Ginta said, steering his friend away from the bedroom door and down the stairs. "Hakkaku and I will be heading back to Tokyo in about six hours. Go get something to eat and take a nap, okay? It's been three days and... oh, and um, take a bath too, dude. And shave. You kinda need it." With a good-natured laugh, he slapped Kouga heartily on the back and shoved him towards the kitchen before heading back up the stairs.

"But what about Kagome? What if she needs something?" Kouga stared up at the landing and Ginta's head appeared over the railing. "I mean, who'll watch over her?"

Ginta shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Kouga. Hakkaku and I can look after her too, you know. You're not the only one in this house who cares about Kagome." He winked at Kouga, then disappeared into Kouga's room, where she lay, asleep.

Taking his friend's advice, Kouga got something to eat, shaved, took a shower, then took a nap in one of the guest bedrooms. When he woke, the sun had already set and the Kawase brothers were getting ready to leave for the city. "Will you guys being staying in Tokyo tonight?" Kouga called out as he headed down the hallway to his bedroom where Kagome was.

Ginta's head poked out the room and he nodded. "Yeah. It'll be way too late to drive back. Do you want us to come back anyway?"

Shaking his head, Kouga went into his bedroom to look in on her. She lay still and pale against the deep blue of his silken sheets, her body curled into a little ball, facing him. One small hand was tucked, childlike, beneath her left cheek. "Has she woken yet?"

"Yes, but it was for only for a few minutes."

Kouga shot his friend an anxious look. "What?! Why didn't you call me? What happened?"

"Calm down, Kouga. She was in a bit of pain and she needed to pee. I gave her some more painkiller and took her to the bathroom. Then she came back in here and fell right back to sleep." Ginta stared over at the girl and Kouga noticed that his friend looked concerned about something.

"Oi, Ginta. What's wrong?"

Ginta shook his head, but Kouga knew him better than that. "Tell me. Did she say anything about the attack when she woke up?"

Again Ginta shook his head and Kouga, now knowing that something was up, forced Ginta to face him. "Don't hold anything back, Ginta. What's going on? _Did_ she say something?"

The elder Kawase sighed and pushed the white striped lock of hair out of his face. "That's just it, Kouga. She didn't _say_ anything."

"I don't understand. Explain."

Ginta stared into Kouga's eyes. "She didn't say anything, Kouga, because she can't. Her voice... is gone."

Kouga could only look at Ginta with growing confusion and horror, while Ginta crossed his arms over his chest and turned his gaze back to the huddled figure on the large bed. "I don't know, Kouga. Perhaps a piece of glass cut her vocal chords or something. All I know is that girl was stunned when she opened her mouth to speak and nothing came out. I called Akira and he said he'd be over soon--"

"Damn it, Ginta! Why didn't you come get me?" Kouga cried, grabbing his friend by the shoulders and shaking him. "You should've--"

Ginta slapped his hands away. "I didn't come get you because you needed your rest!" he retorted angrily. "What good would you do her if you're exhausted, huh? Or do you not trust me anymore? Do you think I don't care about Kagome-neesan?"

Blue eyes flew open, wounded. "That's not... Ginta, I'm sorry. I just..." Kouga stumbled to the chair beside the bed and sat down heavily into it. "I worry about her so much. I didn't mean to make you think that, really. I trust you and Hakkaku with my life."

There was silence in the room, but was soon overtaken by the muted sounds of heavy metal music coming from the direction of Hakkaku's bedroom.

Laying a hand on Kouga's shoulder, Ginta squeezed his fingers. "Do you want us to stay? Inu will take care of everything at the club tonight."

"No, you guys go and have fun. Look after Inuyasha well. He's still a newbie."

"Sure. Okay, call us if you need us, Kouga."

"I will. Thanks."

"Oh, by the way, I told Akira to let himself into the house. You know, just in case you're indisposed. Try not to kill him by accident, okay?"

Then Ginta was gone and a moment later, the music was cut off abruptly, followed by Hakkaku's shout of goodbye. Footsteps could be heard descending the staircase and straight to the front door. The door opened and shut, the sound of the locks being turned echoed through the quiet house.

Kouga stared at Kagome. Kagome... couldn't speak.

He left his chair and knelt beside his bed, gently shaking her shoulder. "Kagome? Sweetheart? Wake up, please."

After a moment, her eyes fluttered open and she stared up at him with unfocused eyes. Her brows slid downwards as she tried to see who he was. Dark brown eyes flew open when recognition filled her vision. Sitting up, she smiled with relief and held her arms out to him.

Then her mouth opened... _and nothing came out._

Her huge, expressive eyes flickered for a moment before confusion flooded her face. Kouga felt his heart grow heavy in his chest as he watched her try to speak and fail. When her hand came up to touch her throat... then she seemed to remember that her voice was gone. Her shoulders slumped and she hung her head, bringing her hands up to cover her face as she wept silently.

"Darling," he whispered, reaching out to touch her hair, "don't worry about this. Akira's on his way, okay? We'll find a way to get your voice back."

Kagome lifted her head and stared pitifully at him with tearful and hopeless eyes. Taking hold of his wrist, she pushed him away and shook her head, as if saying 'don't bother'.

But Kouga didn't want her to have this attitude. He moved closer to her and pulled her into a warm embrace. "I want you to get your voice back, sweetheart. I want to hear you say my name again. I want to hear you tell me that you love me. Please? For me?"

Again she pushed him away, but he captured her face in his hands. "Don't you give up on me, Kagome. You can push me away all you want, but don't you _dare_ give up," he told her fiercely as the tears flowed down her face. She shook her head, bright eyes searching his face beseechingly. Kouga frowned, wondering what she wanted to tell him, when her lips parted and moved, mouthing the words, _"I'm sorry"_.

"Sorry? For what?"

She shut her eyes and the tears spilled down her cheeks again. Again she opened her mouth as though to speak, but this time, the mouthed words were _"For Yuki"_.

The next time she opened her mouth, Kouga placed his against it, giving her a tender kiss. "You don't have to apologize to me, beloved," he whispered against her trembling lips. "I only care that you're safe and well. Okay?"

She nodded and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face against his neck. He smiled, giving her a kiss on the head. "I want you to go back to sleep now, Kagome. I'll wake you when Akira comes."

Kagome shook her head vehemently and held onto him tighter, making little tugging motions toward the bed.

"You want me to stay with you?"

Dark brown eyes lifted to his and she nodded, the look on her face pleading with him.

Kouga merely smiled and joined her beneath the sheets, pulling her against him. "I was going to whether you wanted me to or not," he told her, giving her body a squeeze. "You know you can't get rid of me."

Her shoulders shook slightly and it took him a minute to realize that she was laughing. That eased his mind for the moment. At least Yuki hadn't been able to beat the laughter out of her...

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Akira drove as quickly as he could to Kouga's house in the country and as he drove, he thought about the night he'd cleaned her wounds and wondered if he'd missed something. He could have sworn he'd removed all the glass from her throat.

Nearly three hours after he received the phone call from Ginta, Akira pulled up to the stately house he'd been given directions to. As he grabbed his medical kit and got out, his eyes quickly scanned over the front of the house. It was an old house; parts of it newly added on to it, but he knew without a doubt that it had historical value.

He walked up to the front porch and looked around. A small bansai tree in an ornate holder sat just outside the door on carved pedestal. Akira smiled and carefully lifted the bansai tree holder and found a key beneath it. Replacing the tree on its perch, Akira unlocked the front door and let himself into the darkened house.

"Kouga? It's Akira," he called out in the stillness of the house. He reached out and felt around for a light switch. Akira dug into his bag and grabbed his flashlight. When he found the light switch and flipped them on. Bright light flooded the foyer and he made his way towards what he assumed was the living room. Here, he found the lights and flipped those on. To his right was a staircase.

There was the sound of movement from one of the second floor bedrooms and then a voice called out, "Up here."

Akira bounded up the stairs and a light came on, leading him to a large bedroom just off the landing near the top of the stairs. There he found Kouga tangled up in blue sheets and Kagome's arms, neither of which could be persuaded to let him go. But when Kagome saw who it was trying to part her from Kouga's body, she let him go so he could untangle himself from the sheets and turn on the lights in the room.

After going into the bathroom to wash his hands, the doctor smiled at his dark-haired patient and gently tried to smooth down her wild hair. "Hey, you! How are you feeling? Now Kagome, I'm going to take a look at your neck okay?" Kagome nodded and bared her neck to him. Akira's nimble fingers quickly undid her bandages. "Kouga, could you hand me my flashlight? It's in my bag."

Kouga did as he was asked and Akira continued his examination. "You did a good job taking care of these wounds, Kouga," Akira said, shooting Kouga a smile. "They're healing nicely." He turned back to Kagome. "Ok, Kagome, Ginta called me and told me you couldn't speak." She nodded and he went on. "Okay, try talking to me."

Kagome opened her mouth and made as though she would speak. She shut her mouth, but then tried again a moment later. No sound came out.

Frustration flashed across her face and again she tried to speak, only this time her face contorted so that it looked like she was shouting.

Akira and Kouga looked on as she tried desperately to make a sound, any sound, come out. But still, nothing happened and she broke down, her body shaking from her efforts. Lifting her head, she looked up at Akira, a silent plea in her eyes.

As for Akira, hatred for his cousin flared anew within his soul. _That bastard! _First he made his mother cry, and now he most likely silenced a delightful, beautiful young woman for the rest of her life.

"Let me take a quick peek, Kagome," he told her, grabbing his optical scope. He tilted her head back and took a look down her throat. "Hmm, I don't see anything. There's a slight redness, but other than that..." He moved back and looked into her face. "The swelling in your face has gone down too, which is good. There's a possibility you'll have some scarring, but it won't be too bad. You were extremely fortunate, my girl. It could have been a lot worse."

She nodded and Akira took her hands in his. "Kagome, I need to ask you something. It's important, but if you don't wish to answer right now, I'll understand." He waited for her nod, then continued. "Kagome, did Yuki do this to you?"

Kagome stared at him for a good minute in mute terror before nodding her head. As she looked away from him, Akira turned to look at Kouga, whose face had hardened with anger.

He brought her hands to his lips and kissed them lightly. "Thank you, Kagome. That's all I wanted to know." He let her go and got to his feet. "Kouga, will you show me the way to the kitchen? I'd like a drink if you don't mind."

Kouga led him down the stairs and across the living room to the kitchen. He got the doctor a bottled water and waited, leaning back against the counter near the sink.

Akira took a few swigs and replaced the cap on the bottle. "I'll have to tell Sesshoumaru this, you know," he said without preamble. "Unless of course you want to do the honors."

"I'll tell him," Kouga said, looking down at the floor. "It's not a task I relish, to be honest. But I think it should come from me. I mean, you're... you know... _his_ relative."

"Understood. If you don't mind, I'd like to get a chance to examine her further. She's lost her ability to speak and yet there's no evidence of her vocal chords being severed or injured in any way. I looked over her x-rays quite thoroughly that night. They weren't punctured by the glass shard." Akira took another drink of water. "The only thing I can think of is that it might be psychological."

Kouga's face tightened and Akira gripped him by the shoulder. "Think about it, Kouga. Yuki's upset; he just remembered what happened the night of his accident. He'd shout at her, say hurtful things to her. Maybe something he said to her stuck in her mind. Maybe when she was trying to reason with him, he told her to shut up or something. Who knows. But along with the hurtful words came the physical abuse and perhaps in her mind, something clicked and suddenly her voice no longer works."

"I suppose that could have happened."

Akira nodded and took a step back. "If there's no physical evidence, that's most likely what happened."

"So what do I do, Akira? It scared her when she found out her voice doesn't work."

The doctor smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Just keep doing what I know you're already doing, Kouga. Be patient with her; show her that you love her and that you won't leave her. It's obvious that she needs you; hell, she held onto you tightly enough."

"Oh, I don't plan on going anywhere," Kouga assured him. "I'm just worried on how this will affect her. Not being able to speak must be incredibly frustrating."

There was a soft sound outside the kitchen and both men turned to see Kagome standing in the doorway. Her eyes were wide with fright and the moment she saw Kouga, she rushed over to him and grabbed him around the waist.

"Sweetheart! Oh, baby, I'm so sorry I left you alone so long!" Kouga grabbed her and held her close to him. "Were you scared to be by yourself?" he asked, brushing her hair back behind her ear.

She nodded, sniffing as she did so.

"I wasn't going to leave you by yourself, sweetie. Okay? I was right here the whole time." Kouga looked up at Akira. "Would you like to stay for awhile? Get some rest? You look exhausted."

Akira bowed to him. "Yes, thank you. I've been up since four this morning."

"Okay, well help yourself to anything in the kitchen. When I put this young minx back in bed, I'll fix up a spare bedroom for you." He picked Kagome up into his arms and carried her out of the kitchen.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Later, after Kagome fell asleep beside him, one of her arms wrapped around him, Kouga reached over her body and grabbed his cell phone, which lay on the bedside table. He flipped it open and dialed Sesshoumaru's number. He'd already called Ginta and Hakkaku and told them that Kagome had confirmed that Yuki had attacked her. They were furious and vowed to beat the bastard down if they ever saw him.

"Yes?" Sesshoumaru's deep voice was soft, drowsy almost.

"Sesshoumaru, it's me."

"Kouga?" The drowsy voice perked up. "How is she? Is she okay?"

Kouga looked down at the sleeping bundle of woman that lay snuggled against his chest. "She's fine, but there's a couple of things you need to know." He went on to inform Sesshoumaru of the loss of Kagome's voice and Akira's reasoning behind it. Then he told his employer that Kagome had admitted to both Akira and himself that it was Yuki who had indeed attacked her.

There was dead silence for a whole minute before Sesshoumaru spoke. "I'll kill him," he hissed.

"It's up to you, boss man."

"Kouga... I know about your past. Ginta did a good job of hacking into my computers and changing your information, but it was Naraku who told me about you. He told me a few hours ago."

Kouga felt his heart stop. Would Sesshoumaru demand that he stay away from Kagome forever? "Sesshoumaru, please, I can explain--"

"Don't bother, Matsuno. You lied to me because you love her. I... know the feeling. I'd do anything for her, too. Besides, I was given a chance to get to know you and I know that you'd never do anything to harm her. Despite what your past profession was, I trust you with her safety. However, I have a request for you. I want him _gone_, Kouga. I'll pay you any amount--"

"No, Sesshoumaru. Kagome believes that I haven't done anything like that in a long time. I won't go back to that lifestyle for anything. If I'm caught, I'd never see her again. There's no way I'd risk that. Besides, she wouldn't want me to. I could never destroy her trust in me."

A soft chuckle came from Sesshoumaru's side of the phone. "That's a pretty persuasive argument there. You _do_ realize that girl has us both completely wrapped around her little fingers?"

Twinkling blue eyes continued to gaze down at Kagome's sleeping face. "I know. I've never been so whipped in my life. But I love every minute of it."

"Hmph. Okay, thank you for the update, Kouga. I'll make sure to let the police know. Would she want to make a statement to that effect? They'll need it in order to press charges against him."

"I'll ask her tomorrow. Right now, I'm lucky if she'll let me go long enough to take a piss." He tried to move away, but she frowned in her sleep and only tightened her grip. Sighing, he said goodbye to Sesshoumaru and closed his phone. Setting the phone back on the little table by the bed, he lay back down.

He lay against his pillows, watching her sleep. Even though her face was still bruised and covered with scratches, even though her neck was bandaged up, even though she might be scarred for life, she was still so beautiful to him.

"I love you," he told her, allowing his eyes to close.

Sleep claimed him soon after.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Back in Tokyo, Ginta was talking to Inuyasha in the office that overlooked the entire club. The door to the office was flung open and Hakkaku stormed in, face red.

"Oi, what's wrong with you," Inuyasha grumbled irritably. Ginta had just told him that Kagome had pointed the finger at Yuki as being the one who'd beat her up. Needless to say, he was pretty pissed off already. He hoped that nothing had gone wrong down below because he wasn't in the mood to deal with any drunken shits acting like fools.

Hakkaku, chest heaving angrily, looked at his brother. "Yo, Ginta! You're not going to fucking believe this!"

Inuyasha looked from Ginta back to Hakkaku. "What's wrong?"

"Spit it out, Hakkaku," Ginta said sharply. "We're not going to believe what?"

"Dude! Yuki's here! Right now! In our club!"

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Chapter 25

The moment Yuki and Hiro stepped into _Kaze no Kizu_, they were swallowed up by the pulse-pounding beats. The crush of people was enormous and Yuki hated to admit it, but the place rocked. He'd have to do some work on _Netsu_ when he got the chance.

Right behind him, Hiro was nervously looking around. He had a _really_ bad feeling about this. They'd gone out to dinner and while dessert was being served, Hiro had noticed a rather striking-looking man with glossy black hair sitting a few tables over, giving them occasional glances. The glances were fleeting, for the man appeared to be deep in conversation with his companion. But all the same, Hiro had a distinct feeling that the guy was secretly watching them, or rather... _watching Yuki_.

Hiro sighed inwardly. He was imagining things, he told himself as Yuki dug into his cherry covered cheesecake with relish.

But his gaze flitted back over to the black-haired man, who, even though he was laughing with his dinner companion, had his eyes fixed on Yuki. The look in those dark eyes were hard and cold... _murderous_. Hiro felt slightly afraid for his foolish brother. Even as they made their way through the nightclub, he felt as though they were being watched.

Very, _very_ unsettling...

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

It was Ginta who had to be the voice of reason when his brother and Inuyasha tried to make a dash for the door with the intent on beating Yuki down. His arms snaked out, snagging the idiots by their collars. 

"Hey! Pull yourselves together, you morons!" he snapped, yanking them backwards. The two fell on their rumps and sputtered furiously up at Ginta, who regarded them disdainfully. "What the hell are you thinking? Are you trying to shut this place down before we've begun to enjoy its success?"

"What are you going on about?" Inuyasha grumbled, getting to his feet.

"Yeah! We need to avenge Kagome-neesan!" barked Hakkaku angrily, giving his knuckles a good crack.

Ginta sneered at them. "Heh. Have you two even thought this through?" When the other two looked at him curiously, he went on. "We've got a bunch of people out there, fueled by hormones and booze and you two bozos go and start a fight. What do you _think_ will happen? We'll have a huge fight on our hands, the cops will get called in as well as the media because this is a new club, just opened for business and because _he's_ Morikawa's little brother." Ginta pointed at Inuyasha, who flinched away from the accusing finger.

The elder Kawase continues ruthlessly. "There will be an investigation on just _who_ started this mess and why. They'll discover that it just so happens that Inuyasha, Morikawa Sesshoumaru's little brother, beats the shit out of some crippled guy after _he's_ been accused of beating up his step-sister. The exposure won't be positive, gentlemen. Sesshoumaru would be furious; not only because his brother had to go and be stupid, but also because it would drag Kagome out into the open." He took a deep breath. "I don't suppose you want to go back to Kagoshima so soon after leaving there, do you, Inuyasha?"

Inu glared sullenly at a very smug-looking Ginta. "So what do you propose we do instead, Einstein? From the way you talked earlier, it sounded like you were itching for a fight, too."

"Oh, I still am," Ginta replied, reaching for his cell phone and dialed a number. Putting the phone to his ear, he waited for a moment. "Hey, Sesshoumaru? Yeah. Listen, I know where Yuki is."

oooooooooooooooooo

Naraku was parked outside of _Kaze no kizu_, one of his associates sitting beside him, peering through binoculars at the crowd that gathered in front of the doors.

He reached out to grab his phone in order to call Sesshoumaru, but it went off just as his hand touched it. The name on the caller id made him smile. Naraku flipped it open and put it to his ear. "Well, well, speak of the devil. I was just thinking about you. Have you been thinking of me too, Sesshy? You know, if I wasn't straight, I'd go after you, you sexy bastard," he purred into the phone.

"Shut your hole, pervert. I'll refuse to have anymore to do with you if you keep that up."

"Aww, you've broken my heart, Sess."

"What heart?" Sesshoumaru shot back.

Naraku grinned. "Ouch. What can I do for you?"

Sesshoumaru grunted. "Yuki's at a nightclub right now. The--"

"_Kaze no kizu_. Yeah, I'm sitting right outside it at this moment. Yamadera's with a guy, tallish, with curly brown hair."

"Okay. That'll be his younger brother, Hiro. Don't do anything to that young man, Naraku. He's got nothing to do with this."

Naraku shrugged, his eyes still trained at the club's entrance. "Sure, okay. If you say so."

"I do."

Naraku let a moment of silence go by before asking, "How's Kagome?" he asked softly, staring hard out of the window. "Is she okay?"

Sesshoumaru, too, said nothing for a minute before replying. "She's fine. Kouga's still with her."

"Hmph. And you're okay with this?"

"What do you mean?"

Sliding one cigarette out of his pack on the dashboard, Naraku snatched up his lighter and lit up. "I already told you about that, Sess. The guy's a murderer."

"_Was._ He _was_ a murderer." There was a note of impatience in Morikawa's voice. "What has that to do with anything?"

Naraku exhaled, sending a stream of smoke out through his nostrils. "And that doesn't bother you? Having a murderer looking after one of your most prized possessions? Thought that'd be something to keep you up nights."

"Let me make it clear to you that Kagome is _not_ a possession. Just what are you getting at anyway, Naraku? Look, I've had time to get to know him and _yes_, for a long time I disliked him wholeheartedly because Kagome preferred him to me. I was so jealous of him I could barely see straight. But I know this for certain, Kouga loves Kagome with all of his heart and he'd do anything to protect her."

"You actually believe that?" Naraku chuckled. "You've never _seen_ him in action, have you? I'm talking about when he and his buddies would mack on the ladies. He was smooth, Sess. The women couldn't get enough of him and he couldn't get enough of the women." He inhaled. "I hope that little ward of yours is being smart about this. After already making one huge mistake--"

The sound of a chair hitting the floor could be heard on Sesshoumaru's end. "What are you saying, huh? That she would be safer in _your_ company?" he snapped furiously. "You're not exactly an angel yourself."

"Oi, oi, don't get so upset. Sheesh..." Naraku cracked his window open just a bit and tapped his ash outside the car. "I never said to place her in my care, although I wouldn't put up a fuss about it. Look, all I'm saying is that I think it would be wiser if _you_ were the one watching over her. If he's alone with her and she's practically helpless... Well, I would hate it if he took advantage of her position, that's all. She doesn't deserve that sort of treatment from a man she trusts."

_"Shut your filthy mouth, Naraku!"_ Sesshoumaru snarled through gritted teeth. "You have absolutely _no_ idea about this... or about Kouga. I realize that he lied to my face about his past and I realize that Kagome is utterly vulnerable right now, but you've never seen him with her. You've never seen how looks at her, as though he can't stare at her long enough, or how gently and lovingly he treats her when they're together. I've never seen a man so in love with a woman before. Everything I've seen in him, I've seen in myself because I can relate to what he's feeling. I trust him to take care of her, Naraku. That's all I'm going to say."

"Okay, okay, I hear ya." Naraku lifted his hand to take another drag when his assistant nudged him in the ribs and pointed in the direction of the club. He turned to see the line of people waiting outside of the _Kaze_ to get in back away from the door suddenly. "Shit! I'll call you back, Sess. There's trouble brewing." He hung up and quickly got out of the car.

He and his assistant, a young woman with flashing scarlet eyes, ran up just in time to see Inuyasha and Yuki locked in combat. Hiro was off to the side, brandishing a black and gold cane like a weapon, yelling at Inuyasha to back off. Hakkaku was being held back by Ginta, who looked about ready to explode.

Inuyasha, silver hair flying wildly about his red, fury-contorted face, managed to break out of Yuki's embrace. Cocking his arm back, he slugged the blond man on the nose. As Yuki fell backwards into Hiro's arms, blood spurted out of his nose and onto Inuyasha's clothes.

_"You asshole! You coulda fucking killed her!"_ screamed Sesshoumaru's little brother in a vitrolic rage. He lunged forward, going in for the kill.

But before he could touch Yuki, Naraku rushed in and grabbed him from behind. Inuyasha, still in his berserker rage, fought against his captor to free himself. _"Let go of me! Let go of me!"_ he shrieked as Naraku dragged him away.

ooo

Two hours later, all the participants in the debacle were safely ensconced in Sesshoumaru's home. The fight had broken out when Inuyasha, unable to sit and wait patiently for Naraku to arrive and nab Yuki, had bolted from the office and down to the dancefloor. Ginta and Hakkaku ran after him and had made it just in time to see Yuki sock Inuyasha in the face.

After they'd taken the fight outside, Naraku had managed to wrestle Inuyasha to the ground with the help of Hakkaku, who was proudly sporting a black eye. Apparently, while they were dealing with Inuyasha, Yuki had gotten off a shot as soon as Hakkaku straightened and before he had time to react. Hakkaku had responded by tackling Yuki to the ground and giving him a good kick in ribs before Ginta could stop him.

Now they were in Sesshoumaru's study, awaiting the appearance of the man himself. Naraku and Kagura stood on either side of Yuki, who sat quite calmly in his chair, smoking. Across the room, Inuyasha was being subjected to the tender mercies of Souta, who was treating his step-brother with neither tenderness nor mercy.

"Ow, goddamn it!" howled the silver-haired man, jerking away from Souta and covering one swollen eye with a battered hand that sported bloody knuckles. "Where the hell did you learn to care for injured people? The Angel of Death Nursing School? Shit, that hurt."

Souta jabbed the patient on the forehead, causing him to wobble. "Don't bitch, Inu. If you'd actually listened to Ginta, none of this would have happened and you wouldn't have hurt your pretty face."

"Yeah, I told him not to go down there, but would he listen to yours truly? Of course not," grunted Ginta, who couldn't resist slapping Hakkaku on the back of the head. "The same goes for you."

"Man, whatever," snorted the younger Kawase brother, crossing his arms over his chest.

A knock came on the door of the study and it was opened by Jaken, who immediately stepped aside to allow Sesshoumaru to enter. Hiro, who was standing by the window, turned to see his employer.

"Good evening, Sesshoumaru-sama," he said, bowing to the imperious looking man.

Sesshoumaru nodded and went over to his desk, where he sat down in his swivel chair and eyed everyone in the room carefully. His piercing gaze finally settled on Yuki, who was disheveled but looked completely unaffected as he sat, one leg crossed over the other, his green gaze hard on Morikawa's face.

"Do you like my house?" Sesshoumaru asked nonchalantly of Yuki.

Yuki took a drag of his cigarette. "It's passable. Seen better, though."

"Hm. Well, you'd better get used to it because you'll be imprisoned here for awhile. Or at least until I'm ready to release you into police custody."

"Really." Yuki blinked once, his face the epitome of cool. With a flick of his thumb, he deliberately sprinkled ash on Sesshoumaru's carpet, his half-lidded eyes watching to gauge his host's reaction. "On what charge? I've done nothing."

Sesshoumaru's face tightened, a muscle jumping in his cheek. "For beating Kagome, you son-of-a-bitch." He studied the blond man's thinly veiled smugness creep slowly across his face. "You can't deny it, you know," Sesshoumaru said when Yuki opened his mouth to speak. "Akira is with Kagome as we speak and several hours ago, he asked if you had been the one responsible. She confirmed that it was you."

Yuki said nothing and Sesshoumaru continued. "But before you start in on your cousin, there was another person in the room when he asked her so you can't accuse Akira of lying on you."

"And who, pray tell, was this other person?" Yuki asked, his smug smile faltering just a little.

Sesshoumaru smiled innocently, waiting to see his reaction. "Kouga."

The sound of breaking glass could be heard coming from the center of the room where Yuki was sitting. Sesshoumaru frowned slightly and leaned forward over his desk. Yuki's left hand had been holding a glass ashtray, but now it lay in pieces on the ground, some of the larger shards were covered in blood. His hand was clenched in anger.

"Do _not_ say that name to me," Yuki hissed, unclenching his fist.

"What's wrong? Do you not like Kouga?" Sesshoumaru sat back in his chair, a gleeful expression in his eyes. Ignoring the pallid look on Yuki's face, he went on, "You know, Kouga really _is_ a very nice man. Yes, yes, I'm well aware of his past but that seems so irrelevant now. All I know is that he _really_ loves Kagome and I'm positive, that at this _very_ moment, he's holding her while she sleeps."

The room fell silent except for Hakkaku's snickers. From his spot at the window, Hiro watched his brother with concern. Yuki did not look very happy. His head was bowed, the unruly golden locks falling forward to hide his eyes.

Before Sesshoumaru could speak again, Hiro moved across the room and pushed Naraku away from his brother's side. "Stop, Sesshoumaru-sama. Don't do this."

"Hiro--"

"I said leave him alone!" Hiro grabbed Yuki's injured hand and held it to his chest as he knelt down beside him. "Yuki? Does it hurt?" He flinched when Yuki lifted his head just enough to allow him to see...

_Tears._

"Are you forcing him to stay here, Sesshoumaru?" asked Hiro quietly, keeping his back to his employer.

"You know the answer to that, Hiro."

Hiro bowed his head. "Fine. Then I will stay with him." He reached down to pick up Yuki's cane which lay beside his chair. "Please, would you show me where he'll be staying?"

Sesshoumaru watched the tender scene with some consternation. "Certainly. Jaken, would show our guests to their rooms, please?"

Hiro shook his head. "One room, if you don't mind. I'll stay with my brother. He needs me."

"Of course." Sesshoumaru nodded at Jaken, who helped Yuki get to his feet. The blond man leaned heavily on Hiro and together, the three of them walked out.

"What's up with him?" Hakkaku asked, making as though to follow them, but Ginta grabbed him by the mohawk and pulled him back.

"I don't know," murmured Sesshoumaru, a thoughtful expression on his face.

ooo

When they reached their designated room, Hiro thanked the little butler and asked him to get some bandages and antiseptic for Yuki's hand.

Jaken nodded and took himself off, leaving Hiro alone with Yuki. Later, after cleaning and bandaging his injured hand, Hiro helped his brother to the bed and forced him to lie down. Yuki followed his brother's lead with no argument, keeping his head averted to hide his face from Hiro's eyes.

Hiro watched his brother turn over on his side, away from him. "Yuki," he said quietly, sitting beside him on the bed. He put his hand out and ran his fingers through his big brother's silken locks. "Please, be honest with me. Do you love Kagome?"

Yuki said nothing but only curled himself up into a ball. The sound of sniffing could just be heard and Hiro shut his eyes briefly.

"I see. You don't have to say anything, Yuki. Just try to get some rest, okay?" Hiro patted Yuki's shoulder and turned to move away when the other spoke suddenly.

"Don't leave me."

Hiro stayed his movements and turned back to look at his brother, who'd turned his head and was gazing pitifully up at him. "I'm not leaving, Yuki."

A flash of relief lit up those green eyes as Yuki grabbed Hiro's hand. "I don't want to be alone," he whispered just before his face crumpled.

Alarmed, Hiro jumped to his feet. "Yuki? What's wrong? Is it your leg? Does it hurt?" He reached out, but Yuki sat up, grabbed him around the waist and buried his face in Hiro's abdomen.

"She was supposed to have loved me! Why did she lie?" Yuki's arms tightened around Hiro as the sobs wracked his body.

Hiro shook his head helplessly and returned his brother's embrace. Yuki was so like their mother; so helpless and needy, so desperate to be loved. But fortunately for their mother, she had a husband who adored her more than anything and two sons who loved her dearly. As he looked down at the bright yellow head pressing itself into his shirt, the similiarities were again brought home to him. His mother had done this very thing earlier in the day, grabbing onto him and refusing to let go.

All Yuki wanted was to have someone who loved him and _only him_. He'd put so much trust into Kagome, invested all his hopes and dreams for a happy life with her... and then he finds out she'd been with another man, a man he'd once trusted, and that she loved him, too. That had to hurt Yuki like nothing else.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Yuki," Hiro told him softly, running his fingers through Yuki's hair. "But you need to understand that before your accident, you had hurt her so many times before. I know you must remember that, right? If you want to know, Kagome blamed herself for your accident, but it wasn't her fault, Yuki. That's something you've got to take responsibility for."

Yuki's body ceased shaking, but he did not pull away from Hiro. "So why didn't she stop me from leaving? Or Kouga either? Or were they hoping I'd die in an accident on my way back home?"

Grabbing Yuki by shoulders, Hiro jerked him away and glared down into watery green eyes. "That's not true! That girl had always tried to be kind to you, but you always treated her cruelly. That night was no exception, Yuki." Releasing Yuki's shoulders, Hiro backed away. "You said some awful things to her. _Really_ awful things. You told her about Kouga's sordid past; you blamed her for my leaving you and ruining your life. Then you told her that you wished she'd died..." He broke off as he watched confusion flit across his brother's face.

"I told her that?" Yuki asked and looked away, put a hand to his head. "I... don't remember saying anything like that."

"Well, you did. You made her cry, Yuki."

A fuzzy picture of Kagome with a tear-stained face flashed in Yuki's mind and he frowned. It returned a moment later and he realized that there was a devastated look in her big brown eyes. "Oh god," he breathed, stunned by the memory. But then he remembered that she'd never told him about seeing Kouga and anger flowed through him. "She still lied to me, Hiro. I can't forgive her for playing with my heart like that."

"Oh, come on, Yuki," groaned Hiro with exasperation, but Yuki shook his head obstinately.

"No. She could have told me at anytime that she wasn't interested in me. I won't bend on this, Hiro."

"You've got to be kidding me. Have you forgotten all the 'mystery man' bullshit you put us through?" Hiro walked over to the window and stared out into the night.

"No, I haven't forgotten. But I was right in thinking that there was."

Hiro shot his brother look over his shoulder. "Yes, and do you remember the vow you made? To have him _removed_ so Kagome would be free to be with you?"

"So?"

Hiro turned back to the window. "So... Kagome heard about it and naturally she didn't want anything to happen to Kouga." Yuki flinched at the sound of Kouga's name, but Hiro went on anyway. "Kouga even had them separate to keep her safe from you. He was afraid that you would do something to her out of revenge. Well, it seems that he was correct in _his_ thinking, too."

There was no answer from the golden one. Hiro swung around and found his brother once again lying on the bed.

"Heh, you can _pretend_ to be asleep, Yuki, but I know better. You know you were completely in the wrong and I hope that one day you can begin to make amends to her for what you've done. Otherwise," he said, lying down on his side of the bed and facing away from his brother, "you'll be alone for the rest of your life." 

On his side of the bed, Yuki stared off into space. It wasn't until Hiro's breathing had slowed and deepened that he began to cry silently into his pillow. Again he thought of that night, when he'd burst in on Kagome and Kouga. He could see her face, so pale and full of pain as he screamed at her, telling her that he wished she had died.

He recalled that he'd regretted what he'd said the moment the words had passed his lips and that the look in her eyes frightened him, sending even more guilt flowing through him.

_Oh god! So that's why he'd run away!_

Yuki lay perfectly still, his leg throbbing in time to the pounding of his broken heart. He ran away because at that very moment, he had discovered that he loved her, _truly_ _loved her_ and he hadn't known how to deal with such an unforseen and unexpected blow to his system. He'd never meant to love her; hell, he'd never wanted to love her. It just happened and when it did, it freaked him out... so he had run away. He'd said all those hurtful things to her because maybe his heart knew why he was so jealous of Kouga before his head did, so he didn't stop to think.

_Kagome..._ his mind whispered her name over and over again until he thought he would go crazy. It was useless to think of her, he told himself severely. She'd never want him in her life again, so he should just stop thinking of her. Right? Just stop thinking of her.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. That's all he needed to do. Just stop... thinking... of...

_Kagome..._

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

The sound of thunder woke Kagome suddenly, waking her from the nightmare she had been having. She rolled over and found herself alone in Kouga's large bed. It was still night time and the house was strangely quiet.

_Where was Kouga?_

A sound came from somewhere outside the house, causing her heart to jump into her throat. Without thinking, she tried calling out to Kouga, but then remembered her voice didn't work. Now panicking, with the vivid memory of her dream where Yuki was following her with a blood-covered machete, she scrambled from the bed and fled from the dark bedroom into the equally dark hallway. She didn't know where she was, but she knew she had to get out of the house. _He_ was here...

With tears streaming down her face, and the certainty that Yuki surely must be lurking in one of the rooms in the too-silent house, she felt her way down the stairs and through the living room. Her heart pounded in her chest, fear having taken a firm hold of her senses.

A soft sound came from the second floor and to Kagome, it sounded like a stealthy footstep in the plush carpeting. Her heart nearly gave out when there was a nearly inaudible creak from above and she turned, continued on her way through the house. Sporadic flashes of lightning lit up her surroundings and she made her terrified way through to the back of the house.

She came to a set of double doors that seemed to lead out to a back yard or a garden. After fumbling with the lock, she dashed outside when the creaking came from above again. Blindly she ran, trying to put as much distance between herself and Yuki...

The wind was blowing hard and one particularily strong blast very nearly knocked her off her feet, but she kept running until she reached a small grove of trees. Here she stopped, for there was a path that lead into the trees. Perhaps Yuki wouldn't find her here...

oooooooooooo

Outside, the front door was illuminated by two beams of light, the sounds of footsteps coming up to the front porch.

A set of keys rattled.

"I hope Kagome's still asleep," Kouga told Akira as he unlocked his front door. The two men went in and when he tried the nearest light switch, he sighed. As expected, the lights were still out. "Damn, I hate when the power goes out."

"Well, I hope that nice old lady will be okay," murmured the doctor as he shut the front door behind them and locked it. "I'm surprised the thunder didn't give her a heart attack. It was awfully loud. But it was really kind of you to give them that little generator for her husband's oxygen machine. I certainly hope the power comes back on soon."

"Me too." Kouga yawned and stretched. "Hey, thanks Akira. For coming with me to check on Mrs. Hamashira, I mean. She's been really good to me ever since I moved into my parents' house and she always tells me stories about them when they were kids. I was worried about her and her husband."

Kouga and Akira walked up the stairs and just as they reached the master bedroom, the lightning flashed, allowing them a glimpse of the entire room. Kouga ran into the room with a cry and checked the bed. Empty!

"Kagome! Kagome, where are you?" he yelled, fear clutching at his heart.

Akira dashed in and quickly checked the bathroom. "She's not here," he said calmly. "Come on, let's search the house."

They searched the second floor thoroughly and as they headed downstairs, Kouga's phone went off. It was Miroku.

"Kouga, do you realize what time it is? Where have you been? Sheesh," muttered the monk without waiting for Kouga to say hello. "Kagome had a nightmare and she's scared to death. She thinks Yuki's in the house with a long... knife or something like that. She's been freaking out."

"Where is she?!" Kouga cried, close to tears and pacing wildly about the room. She was terrified and all alone... _oh kami!_

Miroku was silent for a moment. "Hmm, she's outside somewhere, hiding. She said she tried calling out to you, but she couldn't. What's happened to her voice, Kouga?"

Kouga ran an agitated hand through his hair. "Forget about that! Just... tell me where she is, damn it! I'll tell you about that later, but right now her safety is my top priority." He and Akira had walked to the back of the house, shining their flashlights all over the place.

"Okay, I'll try. Give me a moment, please," Miroku requested, falling silent once more.

The two men came upon the back door and their light beams came upon the back door, which was opened slightly.

"She's showing me shrubs, flowers... trees. She doesn't remember what exactly she saw because she ran by them rather quickly. Damn it! She shut her mind off from me! Fear just spiked through her. I think she saw something that scared her."

"That's fine, Miroku, thanks. I think I know where she is. I'll call you later." Kouga hung up and opened the back door so he could step through. "She's in the grove of trees," he told Akira, handing him his flashlight and pointed towards the back of his property. "It's back there. You can't miss it."

"Wait! Don't you need this?" Akira asked, taking the long-handled flashlight from him hesitantly.

"No. I know this place like the back of my hand," Kouga said and took off in the direction of the trees. When he reached them, he called out to her. "Kagome? Are you here, sweetie?" He went along the path, following it until he came through the other side, which overlooked the valley below. This spot was his favorite place to be; it was the place he'd spent time thinking about Kagome when he'd disappeared for a few weeks.

And right now, the object of his thoughts was crouching in the very spot where he'd sat for hours on end, contemplating his life without her.

"Kagome? Oh honey, I'm so glad you're okay. I thought something bad had happened to you."

Her head jerked up from the hands covering her face and stared up at him. Lightning flashed brilliantly, illuminating her tear-stained face and he noticed that she was watching him with disbelief. "It's me, darling." He approached her cautiously, holding his hands out to her.

When he got within arm's length, Kagome launched herself at him, clinging to him as though she were drowning. He wrapped his arms around her and picked her up, cradling her to him. "Forgive me, Kagome," he told her apologetically, "I had to go see about an elderly neighbor. The power went out around one in the morning and she called me because she was afraid that her husband--"

Kagome was tugging at his collar to get his attention. He looked at her questioningly. She shook her head and gave him a small smile, her hand moving up to touch his cheek. Kouga sighed, allowing his face to lean into her hand. "You had me worried, little girl," he told her, his voice lightly reproachful. He bent his head and kissed the remainder of her tears away. "But it was my fault. I should have let you know before I took off. Forgive me?"

He turned and was about to take her back to the house when another flash of lightning came and her body convulsed suddenly. She grabbed at his shoulders in an attempt to shove herself away from him.

"K-kagome? What's wrong?" he cried, trying to keep the struggling girl in his arms.

Kagome's face was tight with fear for a split second, her eyes staring past Kouga into the darkness of the grove of trees. But a moment later Kagome fainted, her head lolling to the side where it rested against his shoulder. Kouga's head whipped around and saw a dark figure coming towards them, briefly lit up by more lightning. The figure held something about a foot long in one hand and the other appeared to be holding something longer... like a cane.

"Yuki?" he called out tensely, wishing he had his gun on him. A loud clap of thunder rolled overhead.

After the thunder passed, there was a chuckle, soft and deprecating, emanating from the semi-darkness. "No, no, it's just me." Akira stepped out from the shadow of the trees just as lightning streaked across the sky, lighting up the entire landscape below. "Wow," he said with a gasp. "I'd love to come out here during the day. I'll bet it's pretty amazing."

Kouga clicked his tongue impatiently. "Damn it, man, you scared the hell out of Kagome! And me too, if you want to know." He would have slapped Akira on the head if his hands hadn't been full.

"Oh, sorry!" Akira laughed cheerfully. "I kinda got freaked out being by myself at the house so I came out here to look for you." Akira shook the flashlight in his hand. "But then the flashlight went out when I was going through the garden and the moment I stepped in the grove, I tripped on this bloody branch." He held up the offending piece of tree for Kouga's inspection. "It hasn't been my night, I tell you. Crap, I think I got a splinter, too."

"Where's the other flashlight? The one you had?" Kouga was trying hard not to laugh at Akira's misfortunes, but knew he was losing the battle.

Akira frowned. "I left it on the table on the veranda. I figured what's the point of having two flashlights? But damn it, how was I supposed to know _this_ one would fail?"

While Kouga laughed unabashedly at the doctor, the two men went back to the house with Kouga leading the way. By the time they stepped inside the house, the sound of the air conditioning unit on the far side of the house could be heard coming to life.

"Oh, thank god," moaned Kouga as Akira flipped on the lights. The living room flooded with light.

At this moment, Kagome stirred against Kouga's chest and looked up at him, eyes blinking furiously in the light. He smiled down at her and kissed her forehead. "Hi sweetie, welcome back."

Her enormous brown eyes darted nervously around the room, then back at Kouga's face, the soft chocolate depths sending him a questioning glance. He chuckled and turned around to let her see Akira, who had his tree branch tucked under one arm while he took the flashlight apart and tinkered with it, a look of studious concentration on playing upon his face.

"That was just Akira that you saw, darling. Yuki's not here, okay? No, don't freak out again! Calm down, Kagome. Akira and I already searched the house looking for you and found nothing. Miroku called a little while ago and told me about the nightmare you had. It was just a dream, baby. That's all. I'd never let him come after you, alright? Never. Now come on, let me put you to bed."

But Kagome shook her head and tried to squirm out of his arms. Kouga only frowned and held her tighter to him. "Where do you think you're going, short stuff?"

Kagome turned her face and frowned back at him, pointing down to her stomach. The second she did so, her stomach growled.

Surprise widened Kouga's blue eyes and he chuckled. "Oh, you're hungry. Duh, Kouga." He set her down on her feet. "Come on, let me take you to the kitchen--" he said, but she was off, already making her way to the kitchen.

Akira, who had finally put the flashlight back together, grinned over at Kouga. "Well," said the doctor as Kagome disappeared into the kitchen, "I guess she was _really_ hungry then. If you think about it, she hasn't had a decent meal for a few days now."

"Yes, Akira, thank you," muttered the black-haired man irritably as they followed her into the kitchen.

oooo

Kagome had made omelettes for all three of them and would have stayed to do the dishes, but the second she put her fork down after eating her last bite, her eyes drooped heavily and she swayed tiredly in her seat. Kouga scooped her up in his arms and carried her up to bed where again, she refused to let him leave. When he tried telling her that he needed to clean up the kitchen, the tears began to flow and her bottom lip trembled. He couldn't ignore the look in her eyes, begging him to stay with her.

"Don't worry about the kitchen," Akira said from the doorway, "I've stuck the dishes into the dishwasher already and turned it on. Now if you'll both excuse me," he yawned mightily, "I'll say goodnight." He shut the door behind him.

"Okay, lay down baby," Kouga said, pushing her gently down onto the mattress, peeling her arms off of him.

But Kagome took it the wrong way and pulled back from him, scooting quickly over to the other side of the bed out of arm's reach, hurt etched all over her face.

"No! Wait, I didn't mean..." He groaned softly. "Sweetheart, I just need to go the bathroom. That's all."

One of Kagome's eyebrows twitched slightly and she squeezed her eyes shut, putting a hand over her mouth to hide her smile. Kouga grinned ruefully and went to the bathroom. When he came out, Kagome was lying on her side facing him. She was staring off into space, eyes drooping slightly.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked before he remembered she couldn't answer him. "Oh, damn it. Never mind, sweetheart. I forgot." He removed his clothes and emptied his pockets, putting his keys and cellphone on the nightstand before turning off the light and getting into bed beside her. "C'mere," he said, pulling her against him.

As she settled comfortably against his warm, bare flesh, Kouga thanked kami things had turned out this way. Perhaps everything would be going his way after all.

He placed a soft, fleeting kiss on her head. "Hey, have I told you I loved you today?" he whispered, his breath disturbing her dark hair.

She shook her head and tilted it back to stare up at him in the near darkness.

His sharp eyes studied her as best he could in the darkness. "I love you, Kagome." Bending his head, his lips sought hers. "I love you so very much," he said, his voice muffled against her partially opened mouth. Once more he dipped down to cover her mouth with his, deepening the kiss. With his heart racing within his chest, he reluctantly let go of his self-control little by little. Although he'd told himself over and over again he'd wait until she got better to try anything of this nature with her, he couldn't help himself now that she was here with him and was kissing him back.

Opening his eyes, he could just see her sweet face, her eyes closed in bliss and he couldn't resist a grin. This proved it, didn't it? That she'd wanted him all along?

Pushing her onto her back, Kouga was very careful not to crush her beneath his weight. She clung to his bare shoulders, her fingers lightly squeezing his firmly muscled flesh. Her hands softly kneaded him before making their feathery way over to his throat, her fingertips skimming slowly up along the sweep of his smooth neck. He panted against her as he felt her hands slide up into his hair and grip the back of his head.

Kouga felt his body begin to shake. _Kami_, she felt so soft and warm beneath him, so small and delicate. He wanted to take her roughly in his incredible need for her, but he just barely managed to keep his animal desires at bay, reminding himself that she was recovering from a cut throat, amongst other things. "Kagome," he whispered hoarsely, breaking the mesmerizing kiss. "I want you," he moaned against her cheek, with its flesh so warm and smooth beneath his lips. For a moment, he completely forgot that the skin he was touching was black and blue.

The meager amount of light that filtered into the room from the windows allowed him to see her face as she stared up at him, eyes wide with desire, lips trembling softly and parted slightly. One hand untangled itself from his ebony locks and dropped down to caress his face lovingly. Watching him languidly, she ran her fingertips slowly over his forehead, cheekbones and chin, as though she was trying to memorize his features, before ending at his lips. As her delicate little digits flitted over the contours of his lips, he opened his mouth and caught her fingers gently between his teeth.

With a delighted smile, she pulled her fingers away and reached up, sliding her fingers once more into his silken hair and kissed him, sucking lightly on his lower lip. He moaned into her mouth and pressed his body against hers, letting her know just how much he wanted her. Her breath caught in her throat and she lifted her legs up, wrapping them around his waist.

Several minutes later, Kouga had managed to get her out of her nightgown and himself out of his boxers. As he was enjoying himself immensely, trailing warm, sensual kisses all over her body, his cell phone went off. It broke through the sounds of their labored breathing and anger suddenly burned through him. He stilled, his entire body tensing; his tongue in mid-lick on the soft flesh just below her navel. With a scowl, he pulled his tongue back behind his lips and growled unhappily against her smooth belly.

"Yes!" he snapped when he answered the phone.

"Oi, baka, leave her alone." Miroku's voice was full of sleep and irritation.

"Huh?!" Kouga shot straight up and looked wildly about the room, wondering if the monk had a surveillance camera in the room somewhere. "What are you--?"

Miroku snorted unkindly. "Oh, please, like I wouldn't sense what's going on. Look, I can feel her excitement because she's cheerfully and unknowingly broadcasting it, and it's keeping _me_ awake. _Please_ put that thing away so both she and I can get some sleep, or else I'll tell Sesshoumaru you're putting the moves on her while she's still practically helpless."

"Miroku, you bastard!" he cried, but he was speaking to dead air.

Kagome propped herself up on her elbows, watching Kouga intently. He shut his phone and turned to her. "Um, that was Miroku. He says I'm keeping you awake, which in turn is keeping _him_ awake." He very nearly sobbed in frustration. "God, he knows how to kill the mood."

She lay back against the pillows and stared up at him, a small smile on her lips. She seemed to be waiting for something.

But even as his eyes dropped to the swell of her lovely breasts just hidden beneath his silk sheets, Kouga knew that Miroku was right. "I _am_ taking advantage of you," he admitted to her sadly. His gaze swept back up to her face. "Kagome, you have no idea of just how _much_ I want you to be mine... but I shouldn't take it from you this way. I want to do this the right way, with my ring on your finger and you bearing my family name." He moved away from her and sat on the edge of the bed with his back to her. "Now I feel as though I've been treating you the way I used to treat the women in my past. Damn it, I feel horrible."

Bowing over, he lowered his head and covering his face with his hands, he rested his elbows on his knees. "I never meant to do that, Kagome. I respect you too much to put you in the same class as those other women. You're so sweet, so classy, so unlike those stupid, slutty females who would throw themselves at me, so willing to do anything just to share my bed for the night."

His voice fell to just above a whisper. "Do you know, when I saw you for the first time, I felt my whole world come to a screeching halt. You were so beautiful, so desirable, but I knew you were totally out of my league. You were far too good for someone like me; hell, you still are. When I scraped up the courage to ask you out and when you said yes... damn, Kagome, you have no idea how thrilled I was. You'd just given me the chance to see what heaven was like close up. _Me_, a guy who'd led such a disgusting, jaded life who couldn't _begin_ to ask forgiveness for all the wrong he's done, for all the crimes he'd committed. But there you were, this lovely little angel who wasn't afraid to dirty her pure little hands in order to touch him; who wasn't scared to be around him or to be alone with him. _I_ was scared, though. I'd never thought in a million years that a real lady would give a chance to a hardened bastard who was rough around the edges. Sounds like a fairy tale, doesn't it? The story of the loser and the princess."

Kouga laughed with a lightness he did not feel, then bowed his head and shut his eyes, feeling tears streaking down his face. His breath hitched in his chest and he put a hand over his heart. His chest ached all of a sudden, the pain searing through him. He knew he didn't deserve Kagome. He didn't deserve her love or kindness or--

From behind him, he felt the mattress shift slightly and suddenly her arms were around his shoulders, her warm, naked breasts pushing themselves up against his bare back. His eyes flew open when he felt her lips press lightly against the side of his neck. He brought his hands up to grab the slender forearms that rested against his chest and held them against his body.

In a trembling, uncertain voice, Kouga said quietly, "I... adore you, Kagome. I worship you. You could ask me to commit the most heinous, vicious crimes imaginable and I'd willingly do them to please you." He chuckled when she quickly pulled away from him and smacked him on the back. "Sumimasen," he said turning to face her, reaching out for her. Grabbing hold of her waist, he lay her down on the bed and crawled on top of her. "I'm kidding," he said, kissing her gently. "I'd rather spend my time worshipping you, my little goddess."

After studying her wide-eyed little face for a long moment, he rolled to the side and scooped her up in his arms. "I want to make love to you so badly, but I'll wait. I know you probably aren't ready after what Yuki put you through and I'm sorry I pushed myself onto you the way I did. Let me put my shorts back on and find your nightie, okay? I just know I'll end up doing something to you."

He tried to get up, but Kagome clutched at his arms, keeping him from moving away. When he asked her what was wrong, she turned in his arms and looked up at him, her eyes welling. She shook her head and moved up to press light kisses on his chin, his cheeks and the tip of his nose. Then leaning back, she tilted her head slightly and with a tremulous smile, began stroking his hair back behind his ear. After a moment, her eyes met his, the smile still playing upon her face. She opened her lips and mouthed to him, _"I trust you"_.

That simple phrase stunned him and he crushed her to him with a sob, burying his face in her hair to hide his tears. "Now I'm _really_ sure that I don't deserve you," he said with a small laugh. Her hands snaked around his body and lay flat against his back, gently stroking his smooth skin, causing his muscles to ripple in response. He very nearly began purring at the sensation. "That feels so good. Do you know how you've completely enslaved me, my adorable sorceress?" He felt his eyes began to close. "A few more minutes of this and you'll put me to sleep."

Kagome smiled against his neck and continued stroking his back. It did not take long for his body to go limp and for his breathing to slow and deepen. When she was certain he was asleep, Kagome slipped from his embrace and out of his bed. She went over to the windows and stared out. The electrical storm from earlier had abated considerably, but now it was raining quite hard.

A twinge of pain in her neck caused her to flinch. Gingerly, she put a hand up to touch her throat, her fingers encountering her bandage. Lightning flashed and in the glass, she caught a glimpse of her reflection. Another flash soon followed and this time, it was not just her face she saw.

_Yuki was standing behind her._

Her mouth opened in a silent scream, she whirled around and found him standing behind her, a long, blood-covered blade in his hand. _Oh god, the dream wasn't just a dream! It was real!_

With a furiously pounding heart, Kagome flattened herself against the glass, still trying to scream but her voice was unable to come out. Yuki stared at her through strands of his blood-soaked blond hair and lifted the blade in the air, allowing her time to get a good look at it.

_'No! No!'_ she screamed in her head and tried to move away from him, but his arm shot out and grabbed her by the shoulder, pinning her to the window. His lips were moving...

ooo

Kagome felt someone shaking her.

"Kagome! Baby, wake up!" It was Kouga, his voice frantic in her ear.

Her eyes flew open and found his sweet face close to hers, worry dominating his handsome features. She grabbed him and sobbed into his chest, holding onto him in a death grip.

"Oh, honey! You were having a bad dream! It's okay now!" He rocked her tenderly in his arms. "I'm be right here, sweetie. I'm right here with you..."

Despite being wrapped up in Kouga's arms for the rest of the night, she couldn't fall asleep. Seeing _his_ blood-covered face was a terrible shock to her system.

It took Kouga a long time to get her to fall asleep again.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A/N: Sorry this is so short! I'll try to make it longer next chapter. :)


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Chapter 26

"So what do you want to do about _him_?" Naraku asked Sesshoumaru, who was pacing back and forth and deep in thought. Naraku whipped out his gun and racked the slide mechanism, breaking the heavy silence of the room. "Shall I go upstairs and--?"

"No, imbecile, you _can't_." Sesshoumaru ceased his movements and shot Naraku a dirty look. "Put that thing away; Souta's in the room for heaven's sake." He motioned towards the teenager, who sat in the corner of the room, reading. "Besides, I don't like seeing guns in my house."

Naraku clicked his tongue impatiently at Sesshoumaru. "Oh, c'mon! Let me shoot _somebody_! I'm loaded and ready to go, for pete's sake!" whined the investigator. "Look, why do you ask me to hunt these scumbags down if you won't let me end their miserable existance? I _thought_ that was the point of the whole thing."

"I said no, Naraku."

"Killjoy." Naraku slipped his gun back into holster. "You've _definitely_ lost sense your sense of fun."

"Are you just going to keep him here until Kagome gives a statement?" Ginta broke in. He was having a smoke with Hakkaku and Kagura in the other corner of the room near an open window. "Or do you just plan on torturing him first?" he added with a smirk.

Sending a dark look Ginta's way, Sesshoumaru resumed his seat behind his desk. "I will wait for her statement to arrive or I will wait to hear his confession from his own mouth. Either way, he will be charged with assault."

When Naraku started in again about not being allowed to do as he pleased, Souta closed his book and left the room after ascertaining that no one would notice his departure.

No one did.

He went up the stairs and straight to the room that held Hiro and Yuki. Knocking softly, he unlocked the door and opened it without waiting for an answer. On the bed lay Hiro, with his back to the door. His brother, however, was facing the door. He sat up slowly when he saw Souta appear and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He eyed the teenager warily.

"Yes? Have you come on an errand from that bastard step-brother of yours?"

"No." Souta came in and shut the door quietly behind him. "You hurt my sister," he said softly. "You had no need to do what you did. Kagome has never hurt anyone." He tilted his head to the side and regarded Yuki solemnly. "Why did you do such a thing?"

"Oh, is _that_ all?" Yuki glowered at the boy. "Don't get me started, kid." He paused a moment, then asked, "Why do you want to know anyway? I don't think your sister would want you to discover that she's a lying little whore."

"Don't you dare say such things about Kagome." Souta walked over to Yuki and stared hard at him. "Even though you love my sister, you say such cruel things about her. How can you act like this? I don't understand--"

"What's there to understand? Look, kid, get it straight. I _don't_ love her. Got it?" Yuki reached over to the bedside table where his cigarettes and lighter sat. He tried very hard not to look at the boy's face; it was so incredibly like Kagome's.

The young man shook his head. "You're lying."

Yuki's hand jerked back and he stared with shock at Souta. "What? I'm not lying."

Sighing, Souta smiled softly. "Yet another lie." Moving closer to the blond man, Souta reached out and touched his face. "Your aura. It's better than any polygraph test." He moved his hand over Yuki's head in an arcing motion. "Kagome," he said quietly, then smiled. "Ah, there we go. Your aura has flared into hues of red and pink. You still love her." He stepped back, his brown eyes twinkling. "You know, if you apologize, she _will_ forgive you." Souta bowed, then turned and headed back to the door.

"She will? Really?" Not caring if his voice sounded desperate and full of longing, Yuki felt his heart beat like mad inside his chest. _Was there hope for him after all?_

The teenager cracked a smile. "Oh, she'll forgive you because that's the kind of person my sister is. But don't get me wrong, but you'll have to do some _serious_ ass-kissing if you want her back. I suggest you start looking for fool-proof groveling techniques and definitely think about getting down on both knees. Don't forget about chocolates; my sister _loves_ chocolates. But honestly, Kouga will be a hard act to follow. He loves her like crazy and she knows it. You'll have a really hard time competing with him, so I guess you'd better throw some prayer into it too, if you want her back in your life. Sorry, I didn't mean to get your hopes up _too_ much, Yuki. She may never be with you again, but at least she'll have forgiven you." Again he turned to go, but Yuki called softly out to him.

"Wait, please."

Souta cast a glance back at Yuki, who had grabbed his cane, which had been propped up against the nightstand, and struggled to stand on his feet. The boy rushed over to him and wrapped his arms around his waist, helping him up. That caused Yuki to stare with at him with some surprise.

"Why did you do that?" asked Yuki, ignoring the little stabs of pain in his bad leg.

"You needed help," Souta told him matter-of-factly, "so I helped you."

"But... I don't understand. Don't you hate me? Don't you wish I was dead? I mean, I hurt Kagome."

Souta shook his head. "I don't hate you, but I hate what you did to my sister. It wasn't fair." He stepped away from Yuki.

"Not fair? She lied to me about seeing anyone, but she was, the whole time I was pursuing her." He hung his head. "All she had to do was tell me she didn't love me, then I wouldn't have made such an immense fool of myself, like forcing a woman who's in love with someone else to marry me. Damn, do you know how stupid that made me feel?"

"How many girlfriends have _you_ had before you were with Kagome?"

Looking at Souta, Yuki blinked. "Girlfriends? Very few. I'm not the relationship type. The women I was with were merely lovers, that's all." He shrugged, his expression neutral.

"Well, Kagome has never had a boyfriend, at least until Kouga came along and she's _never_ had sex with men. Yes, she told me herself, so don't look at me like that. We tell each other everything. But really, you have no right to get upset with her for having one boyfriend before you. You didn't honestly expect her to come to you without even having had her first kiss already, did you? Kagome told me that Kouga has confessed to wanting to sleep with her, but he's never gone farther than letting her know it. So, don't you think that seems unfair when you compare her past to yours?"

"As usual, Souta, you're incredibly perceptive."

Both Yuki and Souta turned to see Hiro lying on his side, facing them, his head propped up on his hand. "I thought that Yuki would have actually figured that out for himself, but of course he needed someone to point him in the right direction. Blondes aren't very bright, are they?"

While Souta chuckled behind his hand, Yuki sent his brother an ugly look. "And here I was, thinking you actually gave a damn about me, Hiroshi," he grunted unhappily.

"I do, brother dear, but _now_ do you realize that you've been in the wrong from the very beginning? She lied to you to protect Kouga after you threatened his life as well as to keep from hurting your feelings. But she never lied to you about loving you. She does love you. Very much."

Yuki shook his head sadly. "Not as much as she loves... _him_. All I wanted was to be important to someone; to be special. But I meant nothing to her."

Sitting up, Hiro scooted over to the other side of the bed where Yuki and Souta were. "Hell, Yuki, do you know how important you are to Kagome?" He got off the bed and took his brother's shoulder. "I've heard from Miroku that she knew something terrible would happen to you. She _knew_ it, Yuki. She could feel something evil in the air the day of the wedding, and even though you assaulted her, she let everything happen that was supposed to happen because she knew you would live when you walked away from her."

"Oh god," muttered Yuki, grasping his cane harder, his face pale. "He came after I left, didn't he? The... the hitman, I mean. She knew someone wanted to kill me?"

Souta nodded. "When Kouga came in, he found the guy standing over her, preparing to rape her, but Kouga stopped him. We don't know if the guy would have killed her in your place though--"

Yuki's frame began to shake strangely and Hiro leapt forward before he hit the floor. Together, Hiro and Souta lifted Yuki and laid him on the bed.

"Shall I go get Sesshoumaru?" asked Souta quietly. "You know, to call a doctor?"

"Hold on a moment." Hiro turned to Yuki, who lay on his back, eyes fluttering open. "Yuki? Do you need a doctor? Are you in any pain?"

Unfocused green eyes stared up at the ceiling, tears welling up and spilling over down the side of his face towards his ears. "I left her all alone and helpless to face a death that was meant for me." He shook his head, as though he was arguing inwardly with himself. "I'm... a monster," he whispered brokenly, his chest hitching slightly.

Hiro and Souta looked sharply at each other. "Yuki--" began Hiro, but Yuki shook his head again.

"No, don't say anything," he said in a low voice. "I _am_ a monster. What have I done?" His face crumpled and he turned over on his side, away from their stares. "What have I done to her?"

Stroking his brother's hair, Hiro looked over Souta again. "Do you think you could ask Sesshoumaru for a couple of his sleeping pills? I'm worried about Yuki. I know his leg has got to be hurting him pretty badly right now. If Sesshoumaru won't agree to it, I'll go down and plead with him. I know he's a fair man underneath it all--"

"Don't worry, Hiro. I'll get them." Souta bowed and left the room, shutting the door behind him. He ran to his room where he changed quickly into his pajamas and mussed his hair. Then he hurried downstairs and back to Sesshoumaru's study where, to his surprise, everyone was _still_ there.

"Oh, Souta, I thought you went to bed," his step-brother said as Souta walked through the doorway. "What's up, little man? Can't sleep with all the noise these idiots have been making?"

Souta walked right up to the desk. "Sesshoumaru, you love me, right?"

Sesshoumaru sat up, startled. "Huh? Well, of course I do. What on earth are you--"

"And you'd do anything for me, right?"

The pale man golden eyes narrowed as he studied the boy before him. "Souta, you know I would. What is this about?"

"I need one of your sleeping pills, please."

Across the room, Inuyasha blurted out, "What the hell for?"

"Leave me alone, Inu." Souta shot him a dark look, then turned back to his guardian, presenting him with tear-filled eyes. "Please, aniue. I need one. Just one." His lower lip trembled.

Sesshoumaru was on his feet and around the desk before Souta could object. He took the youth by the shoulders and peered into his face. "Souta, are you alright? What's wrong?"

"I'm fine. It's just that... I can't sleep." He turned his face away from the probing gold eyes. "Having that man here... and talking about what he did to my sister..." Suddenly, he pressed his face against his step-brother's chest and put his arms around his waist. "This isn't what Kagome would have wanted. She would want you to forgive him no matter what. But I'm not that strong. I don't want him here, aniue! I don't want him near me! Please send him away!" He began to cry, clutching at Sesshoumaru's shirt.

Sesshoumaru stood quite still, stunned at his little brother's words. "I... I didn't think of how you would react, Souta. Forgive me." He hugged Souta to him and kissed his head. "Okay, little man. I'll be right back." He let go of Souta and left the room.

The ensuing silence was broken by a quiet "Oi."

Wiping his eyes, Souta looked up and over at Inuyasha, who was staring suspiciously at him. "Yes?"

"You've never needed something to help you sleep before. What's wrong with you?"

"Leave the boy alone, you jerk," muttered Kagura. "Can't you see he's upset?"

Inuyasha sneered at her. "Why don't you shut your hole, woman. Nobody asked you. And why the fuck are you and him _still_ here? Isn't it past your bedtime? Or does Naraku always keep you up late at night anyway?"

Sesshoumaru returned in time to witness the spectacle of his brother getting his ass severely beaten by a woman. Of course, it didn't help matters seeing Hakkaku holding Inuyasha down and laughing hysterically with each blow that fell.

"That's enough. Leave my foul-mouthed little brother alone. Get out Naraku, and take your violent assistant with you. Your job is done for today. I'll call you in the morning with further instructions." He turned to Souta and handed him a pill and a bottle of water. "Here you go, Souta. Go get some sleep, okay?"

"Sure. Thank you, aniue." Souta ran out of the room and up the stairs. At the top of the landing, he turned back to make sure no one had followed him, then ran down the hallway to Yuki and Hiro's room. Knocking softly, he let himself in. "Here, I got it," he said, giving the items to Hiro, who was now rubbing Yuki's back. "I had to lie to aniue to get it. He locks his medicines up in a cabinet, you see. He's done it ever since I was younger. He was afraid I'd get into them and take them by accident."

"Thank you, Souta," said Hiro, giving the boy a grateful smile. He helped Yuki sit up and watched him as he swallowed the pill. "You're so kind. Just like your sister."

"If only. She's the nicest person I know." Souta looked at Yuki, who was drinking his water and watching the teenager with uncertain emerald eyes. "Don't look so nervous, Yuki. You'll be leaving this house soon. By tomorrow morning, I imagine. Tomorrow afternoon at the latest. He'll let you leave because I told him I don't want you here, Yuki." He chuckled.

The Yamadera brothers turned shocked eyes on Souta, who only gave them a sunny smile. "Wow, Hiro, did Kagome never tell you? One of my favorite pastimes is acting. Since I'm out of high school now, I'm in a community theater production of Shakespeare's _Othello_." His smile widened and a wicked glint lit up his chocolate brown eyes. "Can you guess which role I play?"

"Oh, gosh, let me guess," muttered Hiro, a hint of sarcasm lacing his voice. "Iago?" He sighed when Souta nodded, his bright eyes shining with an almost unholy light. "I never would have guessed that you... of all people..." He shook his head bewilderedly. "You don't seem the type to play the role of someone so manipulative, Souta."

"Yes, I know. That makes me the perfect person to play him, don't you think? Well," he said heading for the door, "I'd better get to bed. If I don't see you in the morning, I guess this is goodbye for now." He waved at them, the young, innocent expression returning to his face. "Good night!" Then he was gone.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sesshoumaru was finally alone in his bedroom after kicking everybody out of his house. As Jaken bustled about the room, putting his freshly laundered clothes away, Sesshoumaru got ready for bed. He looked over at the bottle of sleeping pills that Jaken had placed on his dresser. They would probably come in handy later on...or maybe not. He couldn't bring himself to touch them. He hadn't slept since the night before the wedding. Even so, sleep seemed too far away to touch.

'So,' he thought walking into his bathroom, Yuki's presence bothered Souta. That just would not do. Despite his desire to keep the bastard under his roof where he could keep an eye on him, the well-being of his nineteen year old ward took precedence over waiting for a confession from Yamadera.

He brushed his long hair with great care and braided it. After tying off the end, he reached for his toothbrush, which Jaken had all ready for him to use.

_'Yes,'_ he thought, staring hard at his reflection in the mirror. _'I will set Yamadera free tomorrow. I can't have him disrupt my family's life any further than he already has.'_

As he left the bathroom, he found Jaken standing by his bed, turning back his sheets. "Oh, thank you, Jaken, but I'm not feeling sleepy right now."

The butler eyed Sesshoumaru with uncertainty. "If you say so, Sesshoumaru-sama. Here, please drink this." He held out a cup of tea.

"Two questions. One, what are you trying to make me drink and two, is there something in it that I should be concerned about?" asked Sesshoumaru warily, eyeing the teacup with distrust.

"It's just some plain green tea, Sesshoumaru-sama. I've noticed you haven't been _sleeping_ again," Jaken said with a disdainful sniff, thrusting the cup into Sesshoumaru's hands. "You've always fallen asleep after having some strong green tea late at night, ever since you were a little boy. Your mother kept the pantry full of it in case you were too hyper to sleep at bedtime."

"Yes, I remember, Jaken, but I suspect that between the two of you, I was given some mild sedative to knock me out." Sesshoumaru sighed and took a generous sip. "I always knew there was a conspiracy afoot."

"That is a lie, Sesshoumaru-sama!" The little man puffed up like an angry hen. "We _never_ put anything in your tea! You've just always been susceptible to strong green tea and no one knows why." He retrieved the cup when Sesshoumaru finished it and followed him to the bedroom.

When Sesshoumaru reached his bed, he staggered slightly and sat heavily down upon the mattress. "Apparently it still works." He lifted a hand and touched his forehead, yawning mightily. "I'm suddenly incredibly sleepy."

After Jaken managed to get his master into bed and tucked him in, he collected the teacup. "Of course you are and your suspicions were correct. I slipped you a couple of your sleeping pills." He stepped away from the bed when a long, pale arm reached out to swipe at him. "I do not care if you are furious with me, Sesshoumaru-sama, but you _need_ your sleep. Kagome-sama isn't here now to help you sleep and quite frankly, she may never be. But I do know this, if you don't get your sleep, you'll fall ill and Kagome will worry about you. You don't want that, do you?"

Sesshoumaru mumbled a sleepy reply and Jaken nodded sagely as the angry golden eyes slid closed. "Good night, Sesshoumaru-sama," Jaken whispered and left the room.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

The very next day, Sesshoumaru got up feeling a bit groggy, but rested. He recalled that Jaken had tricked him into drinking some spiked tea, but did nothing. Jaken only ever acted in the best interest of his master.

After breakfast, Sesshoumaru called Hiro and Yuki into his office. "I have given this matter great thought," he began as they sat down on the chairs before his desk, "and I realized that Souta would rather you not remain under this roof. Your very presence disturbs him and seeing how he is in my care, I must do what is best for him."

The brothers couldn't believe their ears. Souta _had_ managed to get Sesshoumaru to let Yuki go after all!

'Damn, he really _is_ a great actor if Sesshoumaru believed it,' Hiro thought bemusedly and knew instinctively that Yuki was thinking the very same thing.

"So, does this mean I can leave now?" Yuki asked, a slight edge to his voice. He did not want to stay one more minute in this god-awful house.

Morikawa leaned back in his chair. "Certainly. Feel free to depart whenever you wish." He waved his hand, indicating the study doors. "Oh, one moment before you go," he said as they got up to leave. "Don't think this means the whole incident will be forgotten, Yamadera. I will have someone keeping an eye on you at all times, just so you know. Eventually, you _will_ pay for your crime against Kagome."

Yuki's face slid into a frown. "Look, do what you've gotta do, but I just wanna get the hell outta here. Okay? I'm in desperate need of a shower... to get the stench of Morikawa off of me." He sent Sesshoumaru a piercing glare and hobbled out of the room with the help of his brother's arm around his waist.

Sesshoumaru sat for several long moments after the two departed.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

When Kagome awoke the next morning, she found herself wrapped up in soft blue sheets and Kouga's arms. She very nearly freaked out when she realized the two of them were naked. It took her a moment to remember just _why_ the both of them were naked and she relaxed, laying her head back against Kouga's chest, which served as her pillow. Memories of last night filled her mind and she felt sad and very disappointed. She would have liked for Kouga to have been her first. She knew that she would never regret giving her virginity to him. He was worth it.

She sighed and without thinking, she absently skimmed her fingertips lightly up and down his back. His body jerked suddenly and a short laugh burst from him. Kagome quickly drew back to find Kouga's bright blue eyes twinkling down at her.

"Sorry, honey. That tickled," he said with his sexy grin. He stared passionately at her, then reached over to kiss her lips. "Damn I love you so much, but I'm glad you're awake because I've _really_ gotta pee. You wouldn't let go of me all night, so I've just been waiting here patiently for my little sleeping beauty to awaken. Too bad I gave you your kiss _after_ you woke up. I would have loved to have seen you wake up after I kissed you."

She smiled mistily at him and withdrew her arms from around his waist. With a murmur of thanks, he bounded up from the bed and disappeared into the bathroom, but not before giving her a good view of his well-shaped, bare backside.

Grinning to herself, Kagome turned over on her other side and stared at the window. It was probably mid-morning, but she couldn't tell for certain. It was rather dark outside, so she guessed that it must be incredibly overcast today.

Getting up and after locating her nightgown, she slipped it on and went to the balcony doors. There, she opened it and stepped out onto the balcony. A blast of cool air hit her and she sighed. The scent of rain was heavy on the unseasonably cool summer breeze but it felt good.

A warm body pressed itself against her back and a pair of lips rested on the place her neck and shoulder met. "It's a beautiful day," Kouga murmured seductively against her skin. His lips traced a path up her neck and to her left earlobe, which he delicately nibbled on. His arms went around her waist, pulling her back against him. "I think it's going to rain soon, though. I was surprised when it didn't rain last night. I thought that with all the lightning, we would have gotten a good soaking as well."

She nodded and opened her mouth to speak, but then remembered that nothing would come out. Sadly, she pressed her lips back together. Kouga must have sensed her emotions, for he took her by the chin and turned her head around to face him. "I love you," he whispered, kissing her deeply. His right hand cradled the right side of her face, careful to not disturb her bandages, and held her head back against his shoulder.

When he let her go, he resumed nipping at her left ear. "Kagome? You know, I have to be honest with you. Even though I'm glad I stopped before I did anything to you last night, I was also pretty disappointed. I really wanted to keep going." He grunted against her shoulder. "Damn Miroku and my conscience. Oh well, perhaps that was exactly what I needed. I'd have felt terrible if you weren't ready for that."

_'Disappointed, huh? That's exactly how I felt,'_ Kagome thought and laughed silently, turning in his arms and putting her own arms around his waist. She shook her head as he held her. That was what she loved about Kouga. He could never stay pissed at anyone for too long and he was always thinking of her feelings.

Shutting her eyes, she just stood there, relishing the combination of warmth from Kouga's amazing body on the front of her body and the cool of the air at her back. So comfortable was she, that her eyes closed...

_She was running through the darkened rooms, looking for a way out. She could not find the front door, nor a back door but when she finally stopped running, she took a look around the room she was in. It was familiar to her; she'd been here before. Over to her right, she saw a sliding glass door and wondered when this had appeared, for she knew that she'd run everywhere there was to run..._

_Coming up to the glass, she looked through it out to a balcony and beyond that lay downtown Tokyo. Now she knew where she was. This was Yuki's apartment._

_A sound from behind her made her jump and she whirled around. A scream wrenched from her throat, her heartbeat loud in her ears. Yuki was behind her, a bloody knife in his hand, his golden hair and fair skin covered in blood. The front of his shirt was drenched in blood as well and she saw with horror that it flowed freely from a wound in his throat. His throat had been slashed from ear to ear._

_"Yuki!" she shrieked, automatically reaching for him. "Yuki!"_

_'Help me,' his voice whispered in her head; no sound passed his lips although they were moving. 'Help me, Kagome...' _

_He vanished into thin air, leaving Kagome screaming his name over and over again..._

oooooooooooooo

"Kagome? Baby? What's wrong?! Answer me, baby, c'mon!" Kouga was shaking her and Kagome felt her body grow unbearably heavy. Her knees buckled beneath her and she dropped to the ground, but Kouga caught her before she hit the balcony floor.

Looking up into Kouga's panicked eyes, she could still see Yuki's face... and his throat. God! His throat! The image was too much for her to bear; whoever had done this horrible thing cut down to the bone...

Quickly shoving herself away from Kouga, Kagome pulled herself up with the balcony railing and very nearly launched herself over it except that a pair of firm hands kept her from doing so. She wretched helplessly as hot tears streamed down her face. When she was through, she stepped back and turned shakily to Kouga, who scooped her up and took her back to bed.

"Oh god, sweetheart, are you okay? Just lie down for awhile, alright? Let me go get Akira for you," he said and after yanking on a pair of sweatpants, he dashed out of the room.

She did not want to bother the good doctor over a disgustingly graphic nightmare, but it was all just too much to handle and besides, something did not feel right. Remembering the dream from the night before, Kagome recalled Yuki being covered in blood, but she did not see his throat slashed like that. He held a huge knife in that dream too, and his lips moved as though he were talking, but she could hear nothing.

By the time Kouga had returned with the sleep-touseled doctor, Kagome had slipped back into sleep. The dream came yet again, only _this_ time, she paid careful attention to everything around her while trying hard to ignore the feeling of fear that had once again taken hold of her senses. She stopped running and really looked around. Yes, like before, she was in Yuki's penthouse apartment.

There was a dragging step behind her and carefully swallowing her terror, she turned around. As before, Yuki was making his way towards her, the long knife in his hand. He raised his arm and showed her the blood-covered blade. Unable to help herself, she covered her mouth with her hand and backed away from him. Her gaze had gone to the front of his shirt, then up to his throat.

Again she screamed his name, feeling the tears run down her face. His lips were moving silently while his whispering voice sounded in her head, its tone a little more urgent than it had been before.

_'Help me, Kagome,'_ he pleaded, his eyes full of pain and desperation. _'You must help me!'_ His eyes burned with a fierce green light, but it was fading fast.

_"But Yuki, how? How can I? This is a nightmare. A dream! Nothing can hurt you in a dream!"_

The dream Yuki shook his head, sending a river of blood spurting out of his wound, drenching his already blood-soaked shirt. _'Please help me,'_ he repeated desperately. _'I need you! I don't want to die!'_ He vanished then, leaving Kagome screaming his name into the darkness of his empty apartment.

She stood there for a moment after her voice died away and when silence reigned over her once again, she heard a noise coming from somewhere down the hallway. It was a sound so soft in volume that for a second she doubted whether she heard it at all. But then it came again... and it froze the very blood in her veins.

_A laugh._ It was a low, pleased chuckle that seemed to come from the direction of Yuki's bedroom. Kagome felt faint and she knew what that sound meant. _Someone_ was in the apartment. Someone who was not Yuki.

Soft footsteps padded down the hallway and Kagome quickly ducked behind one of the large leather sofas. Peering around the side, she saw a shadowy figure emerge from the hallway and make its way over to the balcony doors. From her hiding place, Kagome could see that it was the figure of a man with slumped shoulders. He was holding something in his arms, cradling it.

He slid the door open and stepped outside. The man tilted his head back and took a deep breath of the night air before walking right up to the railing. Instinctively, Kagome ran to the door and yelled at the man to stop. He did not turn around immediately, but when he did, Kagome saw that he was an older man, probably in his late 50s. He was tall and rather good looking, but his expression was, in a word, _disturbing_.

_"I have done you a favor, young lady," _he said, smiling oddly at her. _"Now he will never hurt you or my beloved Tsubaki again."_ He opened his arms and showed her what it was that he held against his chest before turning and leaping off of the balcony.

ooo

Kagome woke to the sound of Kouga's and Akira's voices in an attempt to calm her down. But Kagome could not be calmed down... not when the vision of seeing Yuki's severed head in that man's arms filled her entire mind with dread and horror. Her arms and legs flailed in the air as she fought them off, causing both men to move back a bit and she took that opportunity to curl up into a ball and rock back and forth as she wept silently.

They stayed with her until the weeping subsided enough to gain her attention and Akira showed her a pen and paper. "Here," he said gently, holding them out to her. "Tell us what happened, Kagome. We want to help you, but you need to tell us what's wrong, okay?"

She stared up at him, her brain not quite comprehending what he meant. A part of her knew what she had to do, but it didn't quite sink in all the way. All she knew was that her brain and body felt numb. She couldn't even call to Miroku, as much in shock as she was.

Kouga moved forward and touched her arm. "Baby, please tell us what's wrong. I'm worried about you and I want to know what's going on with you. I want to help you as much as I can."

But Kagome only shifted her gaze and stared vacantly into space, leaving Kouga and Akira to glance at each other worriedly over her head. _What was going on with her?_

ooo

Downstairs, the sound of the front door opening made the two men start.

"Hey! Anybody up yet?" Hakkaku called out, only to be shushed by his brother.

"Be quiet, man! Kagome might not be feeling well yet," admonished Ginta. "Come on, help me put these groceries away. You can do what you want, Miroku. Kouga's with her right now, so just knock on the door. It's the first room on the right on the second floor."

"How do you know that? About him being with her, I mean?" asked the monk.

Ginta replied, "Because he refuses to leave her by herself, that's why." He winked at Miroku and headed off to the kitchen with grocery bags in hand.

Miroku watched the elder Kawase brother walk away and turned, looking around the room. It was simple, yet elegant; it definitely held a woman's touch although it was a bit old-fashioned. He went to the stairs and ascended.

Akira met him on the landing. "Miroku, we didn't expect to see you here," he said, shaking the monk's hand. "We're glad you came. Kagome just woke from having a nightmare and right now, she's pretty much unresponsive to us." He led Miroku into the room where Kouga was trying unsuccessfully to get Kagome to talk to him.

"Excuse me," Miroku said respectfully and knelt beside the bed in front of Kagome. He said nothing, but reached out and touched her face. _'Kagome, can you hear me?'_

She did not reply, but he caught glimpses of horrible, bloody pictures in her mind.

_'Kagome? It's me, Miroku. I'm here to help you. I want to tell me everything you saw.'_

He felt her mind stir but she seemed to be closed in on herself, shielding herself from something. For the next several minutes, Miroku tried getting her to come out but with no success. "She's hiding," he said at last, getting to his feet. "Kagome saw something that disturbed her so much, she's pulled into herself."

"What? What did she see?" Kouga asked, sitting down beside her on the bed.

"Well, I'm not certain, but the images were... bloody. I saw a long, blood-covered knife and a slit throat, too. Whose it was, I don't know, but whoever it was never could have survived such a wound."

"Damn," murmured Akira, shaking his head. "I wonder if this is another vision or just a really gruesome nightmare."

oooooooooooo

Kagome stayed like that for the rest of the day. She slept on and off, but when she _did_ sleep, it was not long before she woke violently, arms shooting outwards, almost as if she was fighting off an invisible attacker.

Kouga was terribly concerned and watched her constantly, despite the others volunteering to take turns keeping an eye on her. But the very next morning, Kouga woke suddenly when he realized that Kagome's side of the bed was empty. He jumped out of bed and checked the bathroom. Finding that empty, he ran out of the bedroom and dashed down the hall to check every room, occupied or not, to see if she was there.

She was not.

He ran downstairs, ignoring the sleepy questions of the other males in the house. It finally dawned on him that she was not in the house when he saw the front door unlocked. Dashing outside, he saw that his car was missing.

His heart stopped dead in its tracks and he wheeled around, running back inside the house. But it wasn't until after he'd gotten dressed that he found his gun had mysteriously vanished from his dresser drawer that he _really_ began to panic.

_"GINTA!"_ he yelled, flying back down the stairs with his phone, wallet and motorcycle keys in hand.

Ginta, who was half way dressed, hopped out of his room as he was pulling on a pair of jeans. "Yeah?" he asked, yawning.

Below, Kouga was hurriedly lacing up his boots. "Wake the others! Kagome's gone!"

There was a cry of "what?" and a heavy thud. Kouga looked up to see Ginta pulling himself up off the floor with the help of the banister. "What did you say? She's gone?!"

"Yes. My car is gone... and so is my gun." Kouga's face was grave. "There's only one thing I can think of that would require Kagome to carry a gun."

Ginta's eyes were wide in his face. "Oh my god," he whispered, face paling drastically. "She's gonna off Yuki."

Kouga nodded and ran out of the house. A moment later, the sound of a motorcycle could be heard starting. The engine revved for a moment, followed by the sound of tires squealing. Then, silence.

By the time Ginta managed to get his jeans on properly, he turned to see three stricken men standing wide-eyed in the hallway outside their bedrooms. He scowled at them. "Yes, yes, you heard him. Kagome-neesan took off with Kouga's piece. Let's get the hell outta here and hope to kami she hasn't done anything foolish." As he returned to his bedroom to find a clean shirt, he muttered under his breath, "I really hope Kouga finds her in time."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Kagome was on the road. It had taken her nearly an hour to discover the way back to Tokyo. She never knew there were still places in Japan that were so well hidden away from civilization as Kouga's lovely home was. By the time she reached the city, she knew the others were not far behind her. Miroku had sent out thoughts to her, telling her not to be silly, but she ignored him. She could feel him try to pry into her mind, but she kept the door to those gruesome images firmly closed to him. There was no way she would subject him to what she had been shown.

Reaching Yuki's apartment building, Kagome parked in the parking garage and headed for the lobby with Kouga's gun in the pocket of her khaki trousers. As the elevator doors opened, Kagome heard the roar of a motorcycle come close to the double doors in the front of the building. She stepped into the elevator car just as the sound of running feet echoed throughout the lobby.

_"Kagome! Wait! Someone, stop that elevator!"_

Kagome pressed herself flat against the back of the car just as Kouga's wild countenance and wind-blown hair appeared through the closing elevator doors. He lunged for the elevator just as it closed in his face.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she relaxed against the cold, mirrored wall of the elevator. Man, Kouga certainly drove fast!

When the doors opened on Yuki's floor, Kagome stepped out and looked down the hall to her right. Sure enough, there was Yuki, who was moving painfully slow and leaning heavily on his walking stick, just as he was reaching for the doorknob to his penthouse. His free hand was sliding the key into the lock.

Fear spiked through her and she ran down the hallway, heading straight for him. Just as he pushed the door open, Kagome lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his waist. Yuki started violently and yelled loudly. He let go of the door knob and twisted his body, his arm snapping backwards in an attempt to rid himself of his attacker.

Kagome went flying away from him and slammed against the wall opposite of Yuki's front door. The gun in her pocket fell out and skidded a short way away from her.

Seeing who it was he had hit, Yuki cried out, eyes opening wide. "Kagome! Oh god, I'm so sorry! I didn't know it was you!" He turned towards her to help her up, but just as he took one step in her direction, he saw her right hand grab the gun off the floor and aim it right at him as she got to her feet. The look on her face was indescribable and it frightened him to see it.

"What are you doing? Please! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you, Kagome, I swear!" Yuki cried, taking a step backwards. "Don't shoot me, I beg of you!"

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A/N: Okay guys, this is where the story line splits. sigh I've really, REALLY struggled with this decision, but one of my reviewers brought me back down to earth. They told me that if they wanted to read a Kouga/Kagome fic, they could go somewhere else to read one. I completely agree with them. This fic started as a Yuki/Kagome on this website, so therefore it is only right it should end as a Yuki/Kagome fic on this website.

I do thank everyone who voted for Kouga to be the winner, so even though he won 14 to 11 against Yuki, Kouga's ending will be the one posted on my livejournal. But, I hope my little Kouga supporters won't be too upset... I've decided that there will be a third possible ending to this story. It too, will be posted on my livejournal. If you haven't guessed by now, it _will_ be an ending with the Fluffmeister himself. whew It's a lot of work, but it's fun and it's sort of my way of apologizing for overturning the votes for Kouga's ending and sticking it on my livejournal instead.

Oh! I have some good news, gentle readers! I have already begun a new fic with a new pairing. It's still far from postable and doesn't even have a title, but the pairing will be...

(drum roll, please)

/drum roll/

Hiro/Kagome!

I can't wait until the first chapter is ready to post! But until then, I shall be working diligently on the three separate endings for 'Blindsided'. Wish me luck!

Peace and much love,

Raven Skye Blackhawk


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Yuki ending

"Drop the knife, shitbag!" Naraku suddenly appeared out of nowhere and placed himself between Kagome and the intruder, his gun aimed straight at him. "Drop the knife and get down on your knees before I shoot you between the eyes! Oi, Kagome, are you okay?" In the corner of his eye, he could see Kouga racing down the hallway towards him and Kagome. "Nice of you to finally show up, Kouga," he muttered unkindly.

"Screw you," Kouga replied, easing his gun out of Kagome's limp hand and slipped it back into the waistband of his jeans. He took note of her shell-shocked appearance and pulled her into his arms. "Just take care of this guy, Naraku. Kagome doesn't look so good."

The man at the business end of Naraku's gun, blatantly ignored him and only had eyes for Yuki. Yuki, on the other hand, was trying to see if Kagome was alright and was completely unaware that the intruder was glaring at him. "You! You... bastard! You killed my daughter! You murdered my Tsubaki!"

Yuki's head whipped around, eyes narrowed. "You're insane! I've never heard of anyone called Tsubaki. Now get the hell outta here! You're scaring Kagome!"

The stranger pointed at Kagome with the end of his knife. "That girl over there was one of your victims too, wasn't she? I read about it in the newspapers, of her engagement to you. That's why my daughter killed herself! Not only had you rejected her, but you took someone else to be your wife when you _knew_ that she loved you. But her guardian was wise to your evil nature, wasn't he?"

"Hey, wait a minute! How the hell did you find out about that?" demanded Naraku, gripping his gun a little tighter. "The annullment wasn't made public."

The older man gave Naraku a sly look. "I have connections," he said cryptically. "Morikawa annulled the whole thing and it was a good thing too, because sooner or later this young lady would have ended up as dead as my girl after you decided that she wasn't for you."

Yuki had to refrain from asking Naraku to pass the gun over so he could blow the old fuck's head off himself. "Look old man, I told you I don't know any Tsubaki. You've got the wrong guy, so get the hell out of here."

The man shook his head vehemently, his face beginning to turn red. "I'm not going anywhere! Not until you admit to pushing her to commit suicide. You did it and you know it! You killed my daughter!" He screamed and lunged at Yuki, his knife raised.

Without hesitation, Naraku pulled the trigger and the man's body jerked backwards. The crazed man groaned and clutched at his arm as Naraku called an ambulance and the police. "Get out of here, Kouga. You don't need to get involved in this. I'll take care of Kagome."

Kouga shook his head and slipped his arms around Kagome, who was white-faced from seeing the blood seeping into the carpet. "Are you crazy? I'm not leaving her. C'mon, baby," he said, preparing to scoop her up into his arms and take her away, but Kagome shook her head and went over to Yuki, who had fallen backwards in an attempt to get out of the way. He'd landed hard on his rump and in doing so, he had wrenched his knee, causing him to clutch at it with a groan of pain before passing out.

She knelt beside him and reached out to touch his knee, but Yuki, not realizing who it was, knocked the hand away. When he saw that it was only Kagome, his heart clenched. But when he saw the hurt that flashed across her face, he felt sure that his heart had stopped.

"Kagome! Wait! I'm sorry! I didn't know it was you...!" he called frantically to her as she backed away from him and went straight into Kouga's arms. Kouga wrapped his arms tightly around her and murmured into her ear before placing a kiss on the top of her head.

_No, not again!_ Yuki's mind cried, his thoughts going back to the night he'd found them together. Seeing them like this, with her clinging onto him as though she'd never let him go, tore into Yuki's soul and he couldn't help but look away. Even at this moment, even though he knew that Kouga was a source of comfort to Kagome, Yuki hated his rival with an immense hatred that he'd never felt before.

Right now Kouga was saying, "I'm just glad you're gonna deal with it, Naraku, since you were the one that shot his ass in the first place. I'm gonna take Kagome back to Sesshoumaru's place."

"Sure. See you guys later."

"Okay." Kouga was already leading Kagome away down the hall to the elevators.

Yuki waited until heard the elevator doors close before struggling to stand up on his feet. He ignored the hand Naraku proferred to help him, but in the end, Naraku had to assist him up anyway.

"If you needed help, you shoulda asked," Naraku told him as he brushed himself off.

"Just leave me alone," grumbled the blond as he limped heavily on his cane. He moved slowly to his front door, but Naraku's hand on his arm stopped his progress.

"Are you gonna be okay? You look like you're in a lot of pain," remarked the investigator gently. "Need me to call Akira? Or do you just wanna wait for the paramedics?"

A growl erupted from Yuki as he turned to take a vicious swing at Naraku with his cane, but he lost his balance and fell against the wall. Dropping his cane, he grabbed a desperate hold of the doorframe so he wouldn't fall. The pain in his leg was pure torture; it felt heavy and hot and ached horribly all the way down to the bone. With a stunning realization of the condition he was in, he discovered that he couldn't even put weight on it anymore. "I'm... fine. Just... hand me my... cane," he panted, his eyes rolling to the back of his head for a moment. It was all he could do not to lose consciousness.

Naraku, looking very concerned, bent over and picked up the black walking stick. "Sure, Yuki. Um, how's that hand?" He'd noticed too, that blood was seeping through the bandages on Yuki's injured hand. "Look, just let me help you--"

"Fuck off." Once he had taken the cane, he threw Naraku an ugly look over his shoulder. "What's with this caring for my well-being all of a sudden? You didn't give a fuck about me the other day, so why do you give a fuck about me today?"

Naraku shot back angrily, "Shit, Yuki, I can't help it if I see someone in trouble and want to help them! What do you think I am? A fucking monster?"

_A monster? No, you're not the monster here. I'm the monster..._

Wiping the cold sweat that beaded his forehead, Yuki's body sagged for a moment, but he straightened as much as he was able to. "Let me know when the cops get here. I'm pretty sure your employer sent you here to have me arrested. I won't fight it. Just... ask them to knock before they come in to arrest me, please."

Hobbling into his apartment and leaving a concerned-looking Naraku in the hallway, Yuki quietly shut the door behind him. He began hopping to the living room on his left leg. As he headed for his bedroom, he went to retrieve his cell phone from his pocket which had begun to ring. The phone slipped from his grasp and he as he tried to catch it, but he stumbled and fell face down on the floor, watching it bounce away out of his reach.

He lay there for a moment, stunned from having the breath knocked out of him and the excruciating pain that shot up from his right leg. When he was finally able to breathe, Yuki rested his face against the soft carpet and cried. He would have to pull himself along the floor to get to the phone.

But he did not bother. It hurt too much to move and besides, nobody liked him or wanted him around, so why should he bother calling for help? Everyone, it seemed, wanted him to just go away. Why couldn't Kami just kill him now and make everyone he had hurt, happy? Besides, the cops would be here any moment. They would be the ones to have to haul his crippled ass off the floor.

ooo

An hour later, Yuki was _still_ on the floor. He'd heard the paramedics stomping along the corridor, then the police arrived and from the shrieks, Yuki deduced that the police had taken the crazed intruder away.

Even though he waited for his front door to burst open, no one knocked and no one came in. The silence that followed was deafening and Yuki couldn't help but wish for the noise to return, to tell him that there was somebody nearby, to tell him that he wasn't alone.

During the long, pain-filled hour while he'd lain upon the floor, Yuki felt more alone than he'd ever felt in his life. Several times he'd caught himself thinking of Kagome, wishing she were with him because whenever she was around, he could never feel lonely or unwanted. With her, he felt happy and secure, knowing that he was loved unconditionally. But he knew it was foolish of him to make such a wish when all he'd ever done to her was hurt her and make her cry. Just as he had done with his parents and his brother...

_Everyone who'd loved him, he'd ended up pushing away... _

Biting back his pain with grim determination, Yuki began to pull himself forward. He had to get to his bedroom. It was suddenly imperative that he get there, for that's where all his painkillers were. He needed to take them, but it was not just his pain that he wanted to end ...

oooooooooooooooooooo

At the Morikawa mansion, Kagome sat listening to her step-brother and Naraku arguing about Yuki and for once, Naraku was taking Yuki's side. That surprised and concerned her, for if Naraku was worried about Yuki, something must not be right.

"You should've had him arrested anyway! Kagome was right there!" Sesshoumaru was saying angrily. "Do you think I give a damn if he can't walk?! My girl can't speak because of him!"

"Yes, and I'm sorry that that happened to her, but let's face it, Yuki is _not_ a flight risk! He couldn't even put weight on his bad leg, Sesshoumaru. Where do you think he was going to go? He has no one to help him--"

Sesshoumaru jabbed Naraku in the chest. "No one except _you_!"

Naraku slapped Sesshoumaru's hand away. "Have a heart, man! If you'd been there instead of ruling from on high here in your fancy-ass mansion, then you'd have seen how much pain he was in. I couldn't let him get dragged away like an animal when he couldn't even stand upright on the one good leg he's got left. Shit, I should've stayed with him to make sure he was okay."

Kagome, who was sitting on the window seat in Sesshoumaru's office, turned her face and stared out over the gardens. She was feeling more and more uneasy the more she thought about Yuki. Something was terribly wrong, she just knew it. But he'd hurt her so much, should she try to help him? Or would she be pushed aside again?

Something flashed in her mind, bringing her off the windowseat to her feet, alarmed. It had been only a sense of intense pain and sadness, followed by a grainy, fuzzy shot of a hand reaching out for a little bottle. She'd seen a bottle like that before and it looked alot like the container of Yuki's prescription painkillers.

"Kagome?" Sesshoumaru called out, the argument between himself and Naraku ending abruptly. He'd seen her jump up and had noticed her pale, stricken face and her eyes that stared off into space. He went to her, but she dashed past him and ran to Naraku, grabbing his arm and pulling him towards the door.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Naraku asked, removing her hands from him as gently as he could. "Kagome? What do you want from me?"

With tears of frustration beginning to blur her vision, Kagome grabbed her notepad and scribbled something before ripping out the sheet and handing it to Naraku, who looked puzzled but read it anyway. Skimming over the paper, his eyes grew wide and shot a look over at Sesshoumaru, who looked torn between grabbing Kagome away from Naraku or punching Naraku in the face.

"What?" he burst out, his eyes jumping uneasily from Kagome to Naraku. "Tell me what's going on, Naraku!"

Naraku turned back to look at Kagome, then grabbed her hand and the two of them ran out of the room together, leaving Sesshoumaru shouting for them to come back.

ooooooooooooooo

When they arrived at Yuki's apartment, Naraku went in first, his hand reaching instinctively for his gun. But Kagome stayed his hand and in her impatience to find Yuki, she rushed past him into the apartment and headed straight for Yuki's room.

Sure enough, he was in his bedroom. He had pulled himself half off the floor and propped himself up against his mattress, one hand reaching unsteadily for his bottle of painkillers that sat on his bedside table. She ran forward and knocked the bottle out of his reach, stumbling onto him in the process. As for Yuki, he turned a tear-stained face to her as she righted herself.

"Kagome? Why are you here? Why did you stop me?" he whispered as he sat up fully and regarded her with wounded eyes.

Sitting back on her heels, Kagome reached out to touch his face. She wanted to speak to him so badly, to tell him that she had long since forgiven him. Behind her, she could hear Naraku talking on the phone to Akira. Yuki could hear him too and turned his face away, but not before Kagome felt his face and was instantly frightened.

His smooth, flushed skin felt hot to the touch. Looking down, she noticed his right knee. Beneath the fabric of his trousers, she saw that it was swollen and immediately began to roll up his pant leg, but his hands reached out and pushed her gently away.

"Don't bother," he murmured quietly. "Just hand me the bottle and leave. I don't want you to be unhappy anymore, Kagome. I've thought about it and this is best for everyone. Nobody wants me around anyway and I'd be better off this way. Once I'm gone then you'll be free to live your life without me around to ruin everything for you."

Shaking her head firmly, Kagome put her hand on his hot, dry forehead and he could not hold back a sigh of relief. Laying his head back against his bed, he closed his eyes in bliss, a small smile curving one side of his mouth. "Your hand is cool. It feels good," he whispered, then frowned, his smooth brow furrowing in confusion. "It's gotten so hot in here."

She continued to stroke his face and his hair until he seemed to have dozed off. From the direction of the doorway behind her, footsteps moved swiftly down the hallway. She turned and saw Naraku, face grave, walk into the room.

"How's he doin'?" he asked, coming to kneel beside her on the floor. His normally laughing dark eyes were full of consternation as he studied Yuki's flushed face. "I knew I shouldn't have left him earlier, but he wanted me to leave. What could I do, you know? He's so damned hard-headed." He laid a gentle hand on Yuki's swollen knee. "It feels hot. I think there's a good chance it could be infected. He looked pretty bad earlier. Damn, I knew I shoulda stayed with him."

To Yuki he said, "Hey, Yuki. Can you hear me? I'm gonna put you in bed, okay?"

Kagome watched anxiously as Naraku gathered the semi-conscious Yuki up into his arms. With a grunt, he lifted Yuki up and lay him on his bed carefully, so as not to hurt his leg any more than he had to.

"Damn, he weighs a ton," Naraku grumbled as he straightened himself. "I hope he'll be okay."

Kagome nodded in agreement.

ooo

On the bed, Yuki lay in a semi-conscious state. He knew he wasn't alone now, but the world was hot; so very hot. What he wouldn't give for a cool shower...

He tried turning his head to look at Kagome, but his neck refused to respond to his wishes. He wanted to see Kagome! He had to know if she was still there with him!

His eyes welled up and soon he felt something small and wet roll down his face. Was he crying?

Kagome's face appeared in his sight, but she looked blurry. Yuki frowned when he couldn't see her properly. He wanted to see her sweet face clearly! Why couldn't he see her clearly?

"Can't... see you... Kagome..." he said brokenly and shook his head slowly. "Fuzzy..."

She moved closer and he could see her better. With a small smile, he reached up to touch her face. She leaned her face into his hand and shut her eyes. A moment later, she opened her eyes and he felt her hand rest against his forehead. He reveled in the coolness of her soft little hand against his burning flesh and then felt soothed when her fingers slid into his hair, smoothing it back.

"Feels... good..." he breathed and his eyes slid shut for a moment, then flew open when the hand stopped running through his hair. Kagome was moving away! No! He didn't want her to move away from him!

Despite the heaviness of his aching eyes, he shook his head and grabbed her hand, wincing. His head hurt so badly! But he had to let her know that he wanted her stay... to stay right beside him and not leave him. "Please don't leave me," he begged piteously, whimpering.

A male spoke to him in a soothing tone. "Yuki, Kagome has to get up, okay? We're taking you to the hospital. She'll be with you the entire time, I promise."

"No!" Yuki cried, grabbing for Kagome's hand. "I don't want to go!" He felt strong hands on him, pulling him away from Kagome. _He couldn't be parted from her again... not again!_ "Stop! Leave me alone!" he screamed, his voice sounding hoarse to his ears.

Two sets of hands picked him up bodily from the bed and positioned him in his wheelchair. Yuki began to cry when he was strapped into it. He _knew_ he should have gotten rid of the damn thing when he had the chance! But that didn't matter now. He was being separated from Kagome and he'd never see her again! They were going to take her away and let him be alone for the rest of his life!

"Yuki. Yuki, look at me."

Barely able to lift his incredibly heavy head, Yuki managed to look up. A familiar face was close to his, the eyes staring hard at him.

"Yuki, do you know who I am?" asked the familiar, yet fuzzy, face with a voice that he knew.

"I... I... think... Akira," he whispered, then dropped his head back down, his neck unable to hold the weight.

"Yes, I'm Akira."

"Akira... I hurt..."

Yuki felt Akira's hand rubbing his head. "I know, Yuki. You're very sick right now. You have an infection and we're going to take you to the hospital, okay?"

When Yuki felt the wheelchair move forward, hot tear drops fell from his aching eyes. "Kagome," he whimpered.

"She's with you, Yuki. She's right behind you."

Yuki would have turned around to see, but he was just too weak to manage it. Instead, he felt himself being wheeled out of his apartment, down the hall and to the elevators.

ooo

He must have slept for a long time, for the next thing that Yuki knew, he was lying on a hospital bed and staring up at a pristine white ceiling. His world felt much cooler now and his head and leg didn't feel so heavy as they did before. But soon, the feeling of loneliness was upon him and he lay there, eyes to the ceiling, crying silently. Was he doomed to be alone forever? He wanted her with him... so he wouldn't feel so isolated, so lonely.

Movement off to the side startled him and he turned his head. A slim figure rose from a nearby chair and came towards him.

"Who are you?" he demanded, attempting to sit up.

The next thing he knew, he found Kagome staring down at him, her hands pressing gently against his shoulders, forcing him to lie back down.

"Kagome." His voice came out in a happy, breathy whisper as he stared, starry-eyed, up at her. He took hold of her wrists and pulled her down on top of him. "Kagome, Kagome..." he murmured before suddenly kissing her startled lips.

"Let her go, Yuki. Kagome's tired. She's been here since you were admitted yesterday," came Akira's weary voice from the foot of his bed. Yuki looked over at his cousin, who was clad in his white lab coat. He fiddled with the stethoscope around his neck. "She hasn't left your side for a minute except to use the bathroom."

Looking more closely at her face, Yuki noticed at once how drawn and tired she looked. She had dark circles under her eyes and her lids were drooping with exhaustion, but she was smiling tenderly at him. He couldn't help but smile back as he cradled the back of her head and pressed it gently down to lay on his chest. She did as he wanted without resistance.

"I love you, Kagome, and I'm sorry. I apologize for everything I've ever done to you. I hope you'll forgive me." His hand ran through her hair over and over again; he discovered that he'd missed the feeling of the cool silk of her hair sliding between his fingers.

He waited for her reply but none came. Worried, he asked, "You _do_ forgive me, right?" There was still no response and panic flew through him. "I'll do anything, Kagome! Just tell me what to do and I'll do it!"

"Oi, oi! Relax and be quiet! Lay your ass back down, Yuki," chided his cousin, striding over to the invalid's side. "Apparently you haven't noticed yet, but no matter how much you want her to answer, she can't."

"What? Why not?" Concern darkened Yuki's green eyes. "Has she moved on? Oh my god... what did Kouga do to her?"

Akira rolled his eyes. "Kouga did nothing except take care of her, baka. Look, there's two reasons why she won't answer you. One, she can't speak and two... she's asleep." He went around the other side of Yuki's bed and bent down to get a closer look at her. Cracking a half-smile, he waved a hand in front of her face. "Yep, she's out like a light. You must be pretty comfortable to lay on there, skinny man."

"Shut up, jer-- wait a second. What do you mean she can't speak? What's going on, Akira?"

"Of course you wouldn't notice something that's happened to someone else, would you? I don't know how many times I've reminded you of just how self-absorbed you are."

"Akira," Yuki growled warningly.

His cousin eyed him darkly. "At the very least, I thought you would have noticed that she never spoke a word the whole time she was in your presence." He sighed. "She hasn't spoken since that night, Yuki." Stunned, Yuki watched as Akira pulled Kagome's hair back and showed him a bandage on Kagome's neck that he hadn't noticed before. "A big shard of glass was buried in her neck, but it didn't sever anything major, thank heavens. It'll leave a scar though, but her face has healed pretty quickly, which is good--"

"So... how...?"

Akira shrugged and smoothed the girl's hair. "I don't know, but I _do_ know how you get when you're throwing a tantrum. You say really nasty, hurtful things, and I'd be willing to bet that's what you did to Kagome that night. Not only did you physically harm this girl, but you abused her emotionally and suddenly, she's unable to speak." The doctor straightened and slid his hands into the pockets of his snow white coat. "I just want you to know, from the bottom of heart and soul, that I think you're a sick, twisted monster and I despise you with every molecule of my being. You know, I hate to tell you this, but you have this disease for which there's no cure. It's called Asshole Syndrome."

"Fuck you, you sanctimonious bastard. You think you're so damned perfect, don't you? Like you've never lost your temper before--"

"No, I'm _not _perfect, Yuki and yes, I _have_ lost my temper before. But I've _never_ put my hands on anyone and I've _never_ hurt anyone the way you hurt Kagome."

At that moment, the door burst open and a very red-faced and furious Kouga stormed in. "So _this_ is where she's been all day! Get your mitts off of her, creep! Don't you know she's way too good for someone like you?" he snarled, his blue eyes flashing.

"Get the fuck outta here!" Yuki hissed back, his arms tightening protectively around Kagome's sleeping form. "I don't want you in here!"

"Well, that's too damn bad!" Kouga stalked to the bed and scooped the sleeping Kagome up out of Yuki's arms. "You've done enough to her. Why can't you just leave her alone?!" He swept out of the room after Akira handed him Kagome's purse.

Yuki was now sitting straight up in bed and flung the sheets back. He tried to throw his legs over the side of the bed, but only managed to move one. "Stop him! Stop him!" he shouted at his cousin, who only shook his head regretfully. "Damn it, Akira! Bring her back! I need her with me!"

"I won't, Yuki, sorry. You've done far too much to hurt her." Bending over, Akira patiently hefted Yuki's left leg and placing it back in bed, he tucked his cousin in snugly under the sheets. "You need to rest for now. Okay? Doctor's orders. Besides, I'd like you to stay off that leg for now."

Yuki waved an impatient hand at his cousin. "I don't care about that, but answer me this. Why are you helping _him_?"

"Why? Because she's better off with him and away from you, that's why. You weren't there when I had to pull pieces of glass from her throat and face and you weren't there when she realized that her voice didn't work. Kouga was there, though, and hasn't left her side since. Let's face it, you are just no good for Kagome. She deserves better than you. She deserves a man who doesn't hit her or throw her against furniture when he hears things he doesn't want to hear." He stepped back from the bed, green eyes narrowed. "You need help, Yuki. I'll look into some anger management classes for you, because that's what you really need right now."

After a moment, Akira headed for the door, but Yuki called out, "Akira? I really do love her."

Coming to a halt, Akira stood still, but did not turn around. "It's a bit too late for that, Yuki. What you did was unforgiveable." Turning slightly, Akira threw a glance at his bedridden cousin over his shoulder. "But if it makes you feel any better, it's pretty obvious that she still loves you. She wouldn't have stayed by your side like that if she didn't. Oi! Stop that! Oh, damn it, Yuki! I wish you wouldn't cry. Please don't do that..." He turned away and covered his eyes with a stifled groan.

But his pleading was in vain. Yuki turned over on his side, his back to him, and cried softly into his pillow. "I want her to forgive me," he said, sniffling. "And I want her to be with me. I don't want to be alone. I'm... afraid to be alone." He was silent for a moment, then asked, "I'm going to die, aren't I?"

"Don't be silly, Yuki. You're not going to die. It was just an infection that can be easily cleared up with some antibiotics. Besides, you're far too stubborn to die. Look, do you want me to call Hiro?"

"Don't bother. Just go away, Akira. I want to be alone right now."

"But you just said--"

Yuki's head came up off the pillow and he glared hatefully at his cousin. "I _know_ what I just said, damn it! Now, go! Get the hell out of here!"

"Hmph." Akira picked up his clipboard from the chair he'd set it on earlier and clicked his tongue. Grabbing his pen out of his breast pocket, he began scribbling some notes. "Patient is becoming decidedly hostile with medical staff. Recommend instant ejection from the hospital via his bedroom window." Akira grinned brightly as Yuki's eyes narrowed dangerously at him. "Well then, behave yourself or I'll get Kaede to come and watch over her favorite little golden-haired angel. She misses you alot, you know."

Yuki's eyes widened in horror. "You... wouldn't... _dare_."

"Keep pushing me and you'll see just how far I'll go, Yuki. Remember this," he said, slipping his pen back into his pocket, _"I have Kaede on speed dial."_ He nodded solemnly and left the room.

Yuki behaved himself for the rest of his stay.

ooooooooo

Two weeks later, Yuki found himself sitting on his balcony, having a smoke. Thankfully, Akira hadn't gotten Kaede to stand guard over him; Hiro had volunteered for that particular duty. But unluckily, Hiro was as much a stickler for Akira's instructions as Kaede was, and that meant Yuki couldn't have any alcohol whatsoever.

But it couldn't hurt to try. So going back into his apartment, he went to the kitchen to see if he could find something.

"Thirsty?"

Startled, Yuki looked up and found his brother standing on the other side of the counter, arms crossed over his chest and watching him intently. Yuki felt his face flush, for he' been looking for anything, anything at all with alcoholic content, but Hiro had cleverly hidden it all away. Damn, his brother knew him too well...

"Yes, I'm thirsty," Yuki'd muttered guiltily, for he knew he'd been had.

"I see." Hiro retrieved a glass from the cupboard by the sink and opened the refrigerator. "Let's see now. You have milk, water, or Sprite. Or should I make some tea?"

Limping to the dining room table, Yuki sat down heavily and leaned his cane against the arm of his chair. "None of those... unless you plan on pouring me some whiskey and adding a touch of soda to it."

Hiro, still holding the glass in one hand and the handle of the refrigerator door with the other, burst into laughter. "Oh, Yuki! You're such a comedian!"

Yuki, _desperate_ for alcohol, brought his fist down on the table with a loud bang. "This is serious, damn it! I'm dyin' here!"

The laughter ceased abruptly and Yuki became aware of a pair of dark eyes glared unblinkingly at him over the counter. In a calm, _deathly quiet_ voice, Hiro said, "That's just not possible, Yuki, and you know this full well. Now I'll ask you again. Milk, water, tea or Sprite?"

"Sprite... _with vodka_," Yuki replied stubbornly. "Heavy on the vodka."

A decidedly unpleasant look crossed his little brother's face and Yuki felt ill at ease. He recalled the times when Kaede had that expression... and he remembered that _nothing_ nice came afterwards.

"Milk it is, then."

"Add some Kahlua to it, okay? There's a good lad."

Hiro removed the milk jug but stopped before pouring some milk into the glass in his hand. "How about I add water to it instead?"

"No! I'll drink the milk..." The rest of his sentence was a string of muffled curses.

"What was that?" Hiro asked politely, setting the glass of milk on the table in front of his glowering brother.

"Nothing. Leave me alone, Hiro. I'm upset."

Ignoring Yuki's request and taking a seat beside him, Hiro watched Yuki drink his milk like a good little boy... a little boy with an incredibly mutinous expression. "Why are you upset? Is it your leg? Do you need another painkiller?"

Shaking his head, Yuki lowered his glass. "No. I don't want to talk about it."

Hiro stared at his brother with twinkling brown eyes and quivering lips.

Yuki glared at him. "What?" he demanded.

"You have a milk mustache." Hiro reached out to wipe it off, but Yuki slapped his hand away.

"I can do it myself, damn it. I'm not a total cripple." The mustache was removed with a vicious swipe. "Now could you please go away? I can't throw myself off the balcony with you watching."

Concern replaced the mirth in Hiro's eyes. "Yuki," he began, but Yuki cut him off.

"No, I don't plan on killing myself today. Alright? Shit. I'm not completely insensitive to your feelings even though you're insensitive to mine. All I wanted was a whiskey and soda. Or a shot or two of vodka. Drinking would help relieve my mind and make my life far more bearable." He reached for his cane, but Hiro knocked it out of reach.

"You're not going anywhere. Now, what's this about killing yourself, Yuki? Are you playing around or what?"

Yuki's eyes slid guiltily away. It had been on his mind for awhile now, but like hell he'd shared something like that with his little brother. "Hiro--"

Hiro jumped to his feet in alarm. "Damn it, Yuki! You never said you were suicidal! How long have you been depressed? Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

Anger flared in Yuki's eyes. "Because it's none of anyone's business!" he yelled back, scooting his chair backwards from the table so he could stand. "Especially not yours!"

"Like _hell_ it's not!" Hiro got in Yuki's face and jabbed a finger in his chest. "You're my brother, Yuki! I have every right to know how my brother's doing!"

"Why do you fucking care any damn way?!" Yuki screamed at Hiro, whose face had turned a bright, feverish red.

_"Because I love you, that's why!"_ Hiro shoved his brother back down onto his chair, then grabbed the armrests and shook the chair violently. But he stopped as soon as he saw Yuki wince in pain. Dropping his hands, Hiro fell to his knees in front of Yuki and stared stupidly up at him. "I'm... I'm sorry! I didn't mean to lose my temper. But why didn't you tell me?" he asked, hurt clouding his eyes. "You could have said something to me, Yuki." He began rubbing Yuki's knee gently.

Yuki looked away. He couldn't bear to see Hiro look like this, as if he could see the world coming to an end, but he still didn't want to talk about it with Hiro. He didn't want to talk about anything with anyone. How could he tell his little brother how many nights he'd lain awake, wishing that he would fall asleep and never wake up? Or how many times he'd sat on his balcony, wondering what it would be like to hit the pavement below at a high rate of speed? No, some things just weren't meant to be uttered aloud, especially not to people he cared about.

"You should tell Akira about this."

"Why? What for?" Yuki asked impatiently. "He's not a shrink."

"It doesn't matter. He's still a doctor." Hiro's hands stopped massaging his knee. "This is serious, Yuki. Depression and suicidal thoughts are serious." He took Yuki's scarred right hand, which had begun shaking and held it to his chest. "It hurts me to think of you wanting to kill yourself. I don't want you to feel like this, so please get help. Akira can prescribe something--"

"Fuck him." Yuki yanked his hand away from Hiro. "It's _my_ life, Hiro. _Mine._ I can do _what _I want with it as I see fit. If I say I don't want to go on living, then damn it, I shouldn't be forced to keeping on having to deal with my shitty life! Look, no one needs me around! I never do anything right, I always screw things up and get in the way... Just leave me alone, Hiro." He got up, pushed his way past Hiro and struggled to make it to the nearest sofa before collapsing onto it.

"So, you're just going to... end it all?" Hiro's voice cracked with emotion, forcing Yuki to shut his eyes to keep his tears from flowing. The last thing he wanted was to hurt his brother, but he had a right to be happy, didn't he? If it meant killing himself, why shouldn't he, if he was in so much pain.

"Why not? What reason do I have for living? None at all."

"You can't be serious, Yuki. No reasons? None at all? What about mom and dad?" Tears streamed down Hiro's cheeks. "What about Kagome? What about me? Don't we mean _anything_ to you?"

Yuki lay down on his side on the sofa. "You each have someone to love and to love you back. I don't and I'm tired of being alone. Besides, after awhile, all of you will move on and forget about me. I've never been a big part of your lives anyway, right? You don't need me. I'll just end up making all of you more miserable than you already are."

For the next few minutes, Yuki tried hard not to listen to his little brother's heartbroken sobs. Everything inside him wanted to go over to Hiro and comfort him, tell him that he didn't mean anything he'd said. But he couldn't. All he wanted was to feel nothing, _absolutely nothing_, and to shut his heart back up into the steel-plated box it had been in for years and lock it away. Before _she_ had come into his life, he'd been fine; no emotion ever touched him. Why was it so hard to go back to the way he was?

Hiro's head shot up and he sent a frustrated, angry and tear-filled glare in his brother's direction. "Yuki, please! This isn't the way!"

"It is for me."

For a moment, Hiro stared hard at Yuki, not knowing what to say. Finally he said, "If that's how you feel, then I guess I have no right to stop you." His shoulders sagged in defeat.

"Thank you."

"I have one favor to ask of you, Yuki."

Yuki frowned. "What is it?"

"Don't do anything yet, please? I need to go home and think about how to tell mom and dad. They'll be devastated."

"Don't tell them anything. You'll find out about it on the evening news. But even so, I _can't_ do anything yet, Hiro. My lawyer's coming over tomorrow to finalize my will. The good news is that you're going to be a very wealthy young man. Doesn't that make you happy?"

Hiro stormed over to where Yuki lay. "No! No, it _doesn't_ make me happy, Yuki! What would make me happy is you getting some help and living!"

"That's not going to happen, I'm afraid. Sorry, but my mind is made up. I have nothing to live for, little brother. Now please leave me alone. My leg hurts and I'm tired. I'm... going to take a nap now." His eyes closed and soon he was fast asleep. Or at least he appeared to be.

A long moment passed and Yuki did not stir. Staring down at his big brother, Hiro felt his heart sear with pain. He'd never have guessed Yuki was suffering from depression. He thought that he was just acting childishly like he always did, pouting and throwing tantrums because things weren't going his way. Never in a million years did he think that Yuki was actually plotting to end his own life. That just wasn't like the Yuki he once knew. He'd give anything to have the old egotistical bastard back.

With a heavy heart, Hiro left his brother sleeping soundly on his couch and took off. Of course, he'd taken time to hide all Yuki's medicines, save one pill, which he left on the coffee table beside a glass of water. Yuki couldn't overdose on one pill.

Quickly, he drove through Tokyo and ended up at Sesshoumaru's mansion. When he was admitted through the security gate, he hurried up to the house where he was met by Souta.

"Come in, please. She's been expecting you," the young man said, motioning Hiro to follow him. They went up to Kagome's bedroom where Kagome was pacing anxiously about her room.

When she saw Hiro, she rushed over to him and hugged him. Hiro hugged her back and asked her what was wrong.

'Something's wrong with Yuki, I can feel it,' she wrote with a trembling hand. 'I need to see him.'

"That's just what I came to see you about. Yuki's seriously depressed." He paused as Kagome's eyes flew open. Hiro nodded solemnly. "He's contemplating suicide."

Kagome's hand came up to cover her mouth and she shook her head over and over again, as though she didn't believe him.

"He said that his lawyer was coming to see him tomorrow, to finalize his will. He's serious about this, Kagome. I'm terribly afraid for him."

She turned away and went into her closet while Hiro continued. "He says... he says that he has nothing to live for anymore. I tried talking to him about getting help, but he wouldn't listen." He ran a hand through his hair, sending his locks into disarray. "He doesn't want to get help, Kagome! I have no idea what to do, but perhaps you could--"

Kagome suddenly emerged from her closet. She had changed her clothes and went over to get her purse. Grabbing her paper and pen, she held out her hand to him as if to say, "let's go."

Leaving Souta behind to explain where she had gone, Hiro and Kagome sped off in his car. During the car ride to Yuki's apartment building, Hiro talked rapidly while fighting back his tears. How could he tell his parents what Yuki was planning to do? How could he look his mother in the eye and tell her that her eldest child was going to kill himself?

Once in the elevator and heading up to see Yuki, Hiro finally broke down. "I don't want my brother to die!" Hiro burst out, his chest heaving. "He's the only brother I have! How... how can he do this to me? To my parents? Doesn't he know that we love him?!" Whirling around, he slammed his fist against the wall of the elevator car before sagging against it, weeping heavily.

Putting her hand on her friend's arm, she squeezed him reassuringly. Hiro shot her a devastated look, then pulled her in his arms. "Forgive me, Kagome. I haven't been much of a friend to you lately, have I? It's just that I've been so wrapped up with Connie, work and taking care of Yuki... I don't have time for the two of us anymore."

She pulled away from him and shook her head, smiling up at him. _"It's fine,"_ she wrote to him. _"I understand."_

Giving her a grateful smile, he took her hand in his as they waited to reach their destination.

Walking up to Yuki's front door, Kagome stopped suddenly and turned frightened eyes to Hiro, who looked at her in confusion.

"What's wrong?" he asked, taking his keys from his pocket. He searched for the right key and unlocked the door. "I left him asleep on the couch and his walking stick is on the floor somewhere, so he should still be where I left him--"

Kagome flung the door open and ran into the apartment, with memories of what happened last time running around in her brain. She had very nearly been unable to stop him taking all of his pills... but this time, it felt different.

She ran into the living room. None of the sofas were occupied. She turned around a bit, trying to see what was out of place here. It did not take long to find the walking stick. It lay near the dining room table...

A cool breeze blew through the apartment and Kagome's eyes went to the balcony doors. They were slightly ajar...

Moving closer, she saw Yuki holding onto the railing and looking straight down. His blond hair flew about his head... and Kagome was instantly terrified.

Hiro came up from behind her and together the two of them watched as Yuki continued staring over the edge of the railing. When he could take it no longer, Hiro flung the door open and stepped outside the sliding glass door. "What are you doing?" he cried.

Yuki did not seem to hear him for a moment, but then he lifted his head up and turned to look at his brother. His eyes were red-rimmed and filled with tears. "I told you to leave me alone, Hiro," Yuki told him in a flat, disinterested voice. "But if you don't leave now, I'll do it with you standing here."

"What about the lawyer?"

"What about him?"

"I thought you said he was coming over tomorrow--"

Yuki shook his head. "Nope. I lied. It's all been taken care of already, Hiro. You and that Connie chick'll have nothing to worry about for the rest of your lives." He turned his attention back to the space between his balcony and the pavement far below.

"You can't... you can't do this!" Hiro burst out furiously, tears streaming down his face. "I don't want you to die!"

"Look, we already went through this, Hiro. What more do you want from me? You want me to suffer for the rest of my life?"

A soft touch on his arm caused Yuki to turn around. When he saw Kagome standing there, a gentle smile on her face, he backed away from her. "No, get out of here! Hiro! Take her away from here!" His back bumped into the railing and he slid down to the floor, tears once again staining his cheeks. "Please," he begged her as she knelt down before him. "Please go away, Kagome. I'm doing this for you, too, so just go with Hiro. Okay? I don't want you to see me this way--""

But Kagome only took his face in her hands, letting her thumbs wipe away his tears. She shook her head and moved forward, placing kisses on his forehead, cheeks and the tip of his nose.

"Don't," Yuki groaned, pushing her away. "Stop it. I can't take this. You don't love me, Kagome, so please don't do this to me. I want you to go."

Again she shook her head and Yuki scowled. "Go away!" he shouted at her, He grabbed her by the upper arms and held her from him. "Do as I say and get the fuck out of here!"

Kagome, a frown crossing her face, knocked his arms away from her then cocked her arm back and slapped him soundly across the face. Stunned, Yuki sat back against the railing, a hand to his face where she'd hit him. "K-kagome?"

Opening her mouth, Kagome scrunched her face down in concentration and...

"I... I... l-love... you..." she struggled to say.

Both Hiro and Yuki were startled to hear her voice. It was cracked and hoarse from disuse, but only at first. Her head shot up and she grabbed Yuki by the collar of his shirt. "I... love you, and your family loves you! How dare you treat your brother and parents so shabbily! Don't you know you have people who care if you live or die?" she burst out, shaking him with all the strength she could muster.

He stared up at her, not sure of what to say, but she went on angrily, "I know you've had a hard time lately, Yuki, but you've got to realize that you have people who need you in their lives and who are more than willing to help you if you would but ask them. You can't just throw your life away because things aren't going your way," she finished gently.

Yuki, thoughts of suicide vanishing for the moment, stared with fascination at her mouth, couldn't resist putting his arms around her and pulling her close. "Are you saying that you need me, Kagome?"

Wrapping her arms around him, Kagome held him tightly. "Yes, Yuki. I need you, but I'm angry with you at the same time. You upset Hiro a great deal and you didn't have to do that to him. He was so scared for you. If you needed someone to talk to, you could have asked me, or Hiro..."

Burying his face against her neck, Yuki squeezed his eyes shut and exhaled a shaky breath. He had missed her so much; he missed holding her close like this. She smelt awesome, so sweet and feminine; her body was soft and warm and the feeling of her arms around him made his insides turn to goo. It comforted him to know that his physical reaction to her had not changed; and indeed, it had only grown stronger. He could feel her breasts pressing against him, and his desire for her rose up and swirled with all the intensity of a tornado inside him.

He groaned aloud before he could stop himself. Giving in to his primal urges and take her right there on his balcony was becoming more and more necessary, but there was something he needed to know first.

"What of Kouga?" he whispered against her neck.

Slapping at his shoulders, she pulled away from him, her dark eyes glaring down at him. "I love him as well, and I won't have you bad-mouthing him. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," Yuki agreed obediantly, his green eyes sparkling with interest. He'd never seen her be so forceful before and though it disquieted him at first, he felt more relaxed and calm than he had in days. And damn, having her order him around was certainly a turn on for him!

"Now get up off this hard concrete right this minute and let Hiro and me help you into bed. You need to lie down."

He opened his mouth to argue but she pinched him on the arm, causing him to yelp. With Hiro's assistance, he got to his feet and the three of them went back inside.

As soon as she tucked him in, Yuki tried getting Kagome to lie down beside him. Her response was to pull up a chair beside his bed and sat down, reminding him very much like Kaede when she was on the warpath... or just in her normally bad mood. Either way, it always ended badly for him. But since it was Kagome, he lay on his side, watching her watching him with adoring eyes and a goofy grin. Several times did he attempt to talk her into climbing in beside him, but each time he was given an cool look.

In the end, Yuki fell asleep with after staring for a long time at this new and improved Kagome. Ooh, would she whip him whenever he was bad? That thought brought an even bigger smile to his face.

The problem was seeing if he still had to consider Kouga as a rival for Kagome's affections... and if Sesshoumaru would give him a second chance with her.

ooo

When he woke, he found Kagome still sitting in her chair, but she was now reading a book. He shifted slightly and carefully stretched his leg. She lifted her head and glanced up at him the second he stirred.

"What time is it?" he asked, yawning.

Checking her watch, she said, "It's just after 10pm. How are you feeling?"

"I ache a little. It must be time for my pain medicine, I think." He sat up and leaned back against the headboard, watching as Kagome got up and left the room. When she returned he asked, "Are you still angry with me?"

She handed him his pill and a glass of water. "A bit. You put your brother through a lot of unecessary pain this afternoon... but you were going through a lot yourself. Still, that doesn't excuse you for what you did to him."

After swallowing his pill with two gulps of water, Yuki stared into the half-empty glass. "Did you mean what you said?"

"About what?"

"That you needed me. Did you say that because it was true or because you knew that what I wanted to hear from you?" He looked up and saw Kagome staring softly back at him.

"Yuki, I meant every word I said," she said, sitting beside him on the bed. She took the glass from him and set it on the nightstand. "But I was also frightened and angry. I did not want to lose you." She moved forward and kissed his cheek gently, placing her hands against his chest.

On his end, Yuki's eyes closed blissfully when she kissed him him on the cheek. Tentatively, he slid his arms around her, but Kagome moved away from him. There was a grunt of disappointment from Yuki and she chuckled. "Sorry, but you need to rest."

"I've rested enough!" he protested, reaching for her. "Come to me, my sweet! Let me show you the depths of my love...!"

Again she laughed and sat down on her chair. "No, I want you to rest now. If you don't, Akira ordered me to call Kaede."

"You're being too harsh on me, Kagome," he pouted. "You've never acted like this before. Why did you change so suddenly? Or was it because I... I mean... because of that night...? What I did to you?"

"I forgave you for that a long time ago. It was when I was out there listening to you that I realized that you needed a firm hand. Inuyasha's like that, too. He has a quick-temper and is rather argumentative like you. It took Sesshoumaru a long time to realize that when Inuyasha was acting up, he needed to be firm, yet loving." She paused, then added, "I must say this, Yuki. Even though I've forgiven you, I don't completely trust you. I hope you understand."

For a long moment, Yuki watched her silently. Kagome stood stockstill, wondering if she should say something but he spoke up, his voice quiet. "If those words came from anyone else, it would be a piece of cake to just brush them off. But coming from you..." He clasped his hands together on his lap. "They hurt like nothing else."

"Yuki--"

He shook his head and gave her a rueful smile. "I deserved them. I behaved like a monster towards you. But the really awful thing about this is that you really did love me and even to this day, I can't believe that I didn't trust in you the way you trusted in me. When you told me to remember that you loved me..." He raised his lightly trembling right hand and brushed his fingertips against his brow. "Even though I was in my own personal hell at the time, there was no excuse for doing what I did, Kagome."

"Thank you. I appreciate your apology."

"That's all? You appreciate my apology?" Yuki sighed, then smiled sadly to himself. "I suppose that's all I can hope for, huh?"

Kagome nodded, folding her hands in her lap. "I'm afraid so. I'm sorry, Yuki."

Yuki cocked his head and regarded her with something like amusement. "What for?" When she didn't reply, his lips stretched into a sly grin. "You don't know me very well, do you, Kagome?"

Her brow furrowed in confusion and he chuckled, his green eyes glittered cunningly. "I always get what I want, my love. Remember that. If I have to spend the remainder of my life making it up to you, I will, but I'll do it as your husband. Even if you reject me, I'll never go away and you'll never be able to get rid of me. As long as you care about me and love me, I'm all yours whether you want me or not. Sorry, I may have finally seen the light, but I still don't like to lose."

A look of shock crossed her face and Kagome got quickly to her feet. "Yuki, you really shouldn't say such things to me--"

"Where are you going?" he exclaimed as she began to gather her things.

"Home. You really should rest now."

"But I don't want you to leave, Kagome. Please stay. I'll shut up now." He slid down and lay on his back, pulling his sheets up to his chin. "See? I'm behaving myself. I'll be a good boy for you, so just don't leave. Okay?"

She turned to go, but she hesitated for a moment and looked back at him, uncertainty in her eyes. Yuki instantly saw this and sat up again, looking as pitiful as possible. "Please stay with me. You know how much I hate being alone. Don't let me be alone."

"You're not alone, Yuki. Hiro's in the guest bedroom, sleeping. You really don't need me here."

There was no reply from Yuki for a long time. He simply stared at her and it did not take long for Kagome to feel uneasy. He didn't appear to be plotting anything; his face was as placid and calm, his eyes serene. The mere fact that he was showing no emotion whatsoever only made her all the more suspicious.

"Okay, if that's how you feel." Yuki lay back against his headboard, his eyes watching her intently. "I can't exactly jump up and stop you from leaving, now can I?"

"N-no. I'll let your brother know I'm leaving now."

"Alright. Take care, Kagome."

"Thank you. You too, Yuki." Kagome took one more concerned look at him before she fled to wake Hiro. His earlier words rang in her in head, making her wonder just _exactly_ what he was scheming. Allowing her to leave just like that, without putting up more of a fuss, wasn't like him.

Nevertheless, hearing him say to her that she'd never be able to be rid of him, sent a delicious ripple of excitement running through her body. No matter what he'd done to her, she still fell so easily under his spell that it frightened her, and despite her fear of him, he made her _want_ to be under his spell. Yuki, she told herself as she got into her car, hadn't lost his effect on her. He was still beautiful, desirable and if she was honest with herself, she would admit that he still held a huge part of her heart... for she knew that she still wanted him.

She remembered the way he looked at her, with his eyes so green and beguiling, and the way he would kiss her would tease her senses and drive her senses haywire. But she couldn't trust him. That was the only problem. Otherwise, she'd fall back into his arms and allow him to love her.

oooo

Back in his apartment, Yuki lay down on his back and stared up at the ceiling. So she didn't trust him, huh? That was fine. It was exactly what he expected, but it hurt all the same. Still, he didn't plan on giving up. He loved her and now he knew for certain that she still loved him. He could work with that, at least.

A shuffling footstep could be heard in the hallway outstide his room and a moment later Hiro appeared, clothing and hair rumpled from sleep. "Oi, baka. What'd you do _this_ time?"

"What do you mean?"

Hiro sank down on Kagome's deserted chair and yawned. "You know what I mean. Kagome raced out of here. So what'd you do? Had a hand up her shirt again?"

Yuki sneered at his brother. "No, actually. She wouldn't even let me hug her."

"Oh, really." Hiro laughed. "Well, it serves you right. You can't treat her the way you used to, you know. Those days are pretty much over for you. Now Kouga, on the other hand, can do pretty much anything he wants to with her--"

"Shut your face!" Yuki turned to see his cane and picked it up, giving it a good swing in Hiro's direction. "Why do you have to be such an asshole, Hiro?"

"Hmph. You're one to talk." Crossing his legs, Hiro yawned again. "So?" Leaning to the side, he rested his forearm on the armrest.

"So... what?" the blond snarled impatiently, his hand clutching the cane and readying his arm for another swing.

"Well, what's your plan? I mean, you're not giving up on her, so what do you plan to do? How much ass do you plan to kiss and whose will be kissed first? Will you do Sesshoumaru and Kouga separately or both at once to save time?"

This time, Yuki did not lash out at his brother. Instead, he set the cane back where it was and smoothed the part of the comforter that lay across his waist. "I'd rather not think of it like that," he told Hiro solemnly. "But I'm not thinking of those two anyway. Right now, I have to concentrate on getting Kagome to trust me again."

"I see." Hiro scratched his chin. "Well, I'm certain you'll find a way to accomplish that, although in your current state of helplessness I don't see how you can woo her. I suppose we can get Souta's help. I mean, after all, he knows her well, doesn't he? More than me, I should think."

A short span of silence ensued, after which, Yuki looked over at his brother. "You'll need to go away on a trip, Hiro."

"Huh?"

Yuki stared off into space, his eyes narrowing. "Or if you don't want to, that's fine. Just make sure you tell Akira you won't be able to take care of me."

A frown furrowed Hiro's brow. "I still don't see--" His forehead cleared and he nodded in understanding. "Oh, okay, I gotcha. You want Kaede back, is that it? Have a thing for older women, huh?" he said, attempting to hide his grin with his hand. "You're such a stud, Yuki, you know that?"

"Agh! That's... revolting! You're a sick bastard!" Yuki once more swung his cane at Hiro. "God, don't say shit like that! You know perfectly well what I mean, Hiro! Look, I want Kagome to watch me for a few days so I can have her all to myself. I'll get her to trust me again, just wait and see. Besides, I overheard Akira talking to that mean old woman and apparently, she's on assignment somewhere else, tortmenting some other poor soul. Why do you think he roped you into watching me?"

Rolling his eyes, Hiro sighed. "Damn, that's right. I forgot about that. Well, good luck with Kagome, then. I must tell you that I have my doubts, but with that pretty little face of yours and years of experience smooth-talking the ladies, you'll find a way back into her heart."

"Years of experience? I guess. I mean, I'll need every bit of it, too. How does one overcome such an obstacle?

How do you get someone to believe in you again after you nearly destroy them?" Yuki yawned and lay down on his side, facing his brother. Hiro grabbed one of the extra pillows and lifting the sheets and comforter, slid the pillow under Yuki's right knee, supporting it. "Thanks, Hiro. You're the best brother I could ever ask for." He shot a sleepy smile up in Hiro's direction, to which he got a smile in return.

"You're not so bad yourself," Hiro replied, pulling the sheets back up and tucking them around Yuki. "Get some rest and I'll see you in the morning."

But Yuki was already asleep.

ooooo

"What do you mean you can't come by today?" Akira hissed into the phone. "I told you, Kaede can't come over

to whip his ass into shape!"

"I heard that!" yelled Yuki from his bedroom.

Akira shot the bedroom a dirty look and he moved out onto the balcony. "Hiro, please don't do this to me!" he begged, sliding the door shut behind him. "I don't have anyone else... Yes, I'm sure. All the nurses who'd be good enough to deal with _him_ are busy right now. If I sent the wrong one, he'd end up seducing them and make them strip naked and do unspeakable acts of... What? Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, the poor girl... Yes, I know she's better now." He groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Sesshoumaru won't be pleased, Hiro. Fine! Fine, just... you'd better call her and ask. Well, I'm certainly not going to do it! I won't have _this_ on my conscience. Why you? Because you're better friends with her than I am, sad to say. Look, just call her, okay? I don't want to be with this fool any longer than I have to. He's testing my patience... okay, goodbye."

Shutting his phone, Akira whirled around and stalked back into the penthouse. As he suspected, Yuki was making a fuss of something or other and when he entered the invalid's room, he found Yuki trying to get out of bed. "Oi! Don't get up by yourself!"

Yuki glared at him from beneath his bright yellow locks. "I gotta pee, Akira! Help me!"

Biting back a nasty comment, Akira put his arms around Yuki to help him up and assisted him to the bathroom. When Yuki was finished, he put his cousin back to bed, although he did not want to go back.

"No! I wanna go to the living room! I wanna watch tv!"

Taking a few deep, calming breaths, Akira tucked Yuki back into bed and then grabbed the remote from the nightstand and handed it to Yuki. "You have a television in here, baka."

"I wanna watch tv in the living room, Akira. I'm tired of being stuck in here!"

As Yuki continued to bitch and moan, Akira held back from slugging Yuki in the face. "Look!" he growled, turning on the fair-haired man. "If you don't stop acting like the patient from hell, I'll stick you with some sedative and you won't care _where_ the fuck you are, because you won't wake up for two goddamn days!"

He stormed out, leaving a grumbling Yuki behind and going out on the balcony again, he dialed Kagome's number. When she answered, he felt much calmer. He loved hearing her voice again. "Kagome? Listen, could you do me this _huge_ fav-- Oh, he did, huh? You said yes? Thank god! I mean, that's terrific. You've really eased my mind. Listen, could you possibly come by right now? He's being difficult again and I'm hard pressed to keep from chucking him over the balcony. You will? Bless you, my child! Okay, we'll be expecting you. Thank you, Kagome."

Hanging up, Akira smiled up at the sky, enjoying the warm breezes. The clouds had begun to gather on this warm summer's day and he had a feeling it was going to rain soon. Somewhere from inside the apartment, he could hear Yuki yelling for him, and he went back in to see what he wanted.

ooo

An hour later, while fighting with Yuki over something completely insignificant, the doorbell rang. Akira left Yuki to fuss all by himself and went to answer the door. Seeing Kagome standing in the hallway, he grabbed her and held her tightly.

"Thank god!" he whispered excitedly, giving her grateful, yet passionate kiss on the lips. "I was ready to murder him!" He gave her body a squeeze, then released her and led her inside. "He doesn't know you're here. I wanted this to be a surprise so that way, he'd be so shell shocked that he won't be able to speak until _after_ I leave."

After leaving her things in the living room, Akira took her by the hand and they went to Yuki's room.

"Akira! Akira, where are you! You can't just leave me all by myself! I'll tell my mom on--" His words stopped abruptly when his gaze fell on the figure behind his cousin. "K-kagome? You came? I mean... you're here?"

Almost immediately, Yuki sat up straight, fixed his shirt, ran a hand through his hair and straightened his sheets.

Akira almost sobbed in relief at the silence. Yuki was a transformed man in the space of a breath and Akira couldn't help but be awed at the power Kagome wielded. She certainly was something special if she made Yuki behave properly.

Kagome let go of Akira's hand, grabbed a brush from his dresser top and went over to the bed where she sat down and began brushing Yuki's wild golden hair. "Have you been treating your cousin right, Yuki?" she asked, working through a small tangle.

Closing his eyes in bliss, Yuki smiled. "No, ma'am."

"That isn't very nice of you. Akira's been very good to you."

"I know." Taking the hairbrush from her, Yuki wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. "I missed you, Kagome. I'm so happy that you're here." He turned his head slightly and buried his face in her hair. "You smell wonderful," he murmured contentedly.

Feeling an overwhelming sense of relief rush over him, Akira bowed to them. "Well, I'll leave you two alone then. I've got to get to the clinic in an hour. Call me if you need help, Kagome."

Kagome nodded and Akira left them alone. It felt strange, being alone with him, but she knew that she needed to stay away from him as much as possible--

Pulling her onto his lap, his lips began brushing against her neck and she shivered. What was he doing?

"Yuki..." she began and pulled away from him, but Yuki's arms wouldn't let her go. Staring down at her, he shook his head and kissed her. Her heart began racing in her chest. His embrace tightened around her and she found herself chest to chest with him.

When he lifted his head, Kagome opened her eyes and saw those amazing eyes watching her tenderly. "Your heart is racing," he whispered, his voice full of love and awe. He reached up and lay his hand on her chest over her heart. "It feels the way mine does."

She tried to move away from him, but again, he stopped her. "No," he told her gently. "I don't want to let you go."

"Please, let me go. This is making me uncomfortable, Yuki."

He kissed her again, silencing her. "Do you know, that deep down, I still consider you my wife?" His green eyes bored into her startled brown ones. "Because you are, no matter what. I don't care if the law says we're not married anymore. My heart says we are. I love you, Mrs. Yamadera."

"No, I'm not your wife anymore, Yuki. Now please, let me--"

Shaking his head firmly, he kissed her until she lay limp in his arms and when he was done, he smiled down into her glazed eyes. "Be with me for the rest of your life, Kagome. We'll get remarried if that's what you want. I'd do anything for you."

Laying in his arms, Kagome knew that she loved this man with all of her heart. No matter what he'd done, she could not help but love him. He was so warm, so passionate, so downright sexy...

But Kouga was like that too, she thought to herself as Yuki's free hand slid over her body. Her eyes closed as his fingers came in contact with the skin beneath her shirt. Kouga never made her feel like this, though. There was just something magical about Yuki, something that kept her wanting more, something that kept her coming back to him... something that kept her from moving on.

He lay her down on the bed beside him, then carefully positioned himself on top of her. "I love you," he murmured against her neck, pressing light, fluttering kisses along her skin. "I love you."

Kagome could only lay helplessly beneath him and feel everything he was doing to her. His body was so warm, his lips so demanding. She knew she shouldn't allow him to touch her; hell, she shouldn't even _be_ here! "Yuki, please don't," she begged, pushing at his chest. Inside her, however, a voice cried that she wanted him to remain right where he was, and to hold her down and kiss her as if he'd never see tomorrow.

Her pleas for him to move were abruptly cut off as he ravished her mouth, leaving her powerless to push him away. She couldn't have done so, even if she'd had the strength because this was exactly what she wanted.

"You don't want me to stop, Kagome. I can feel that want you me like I want you. Don't fight it, sweetheart." His voice was low and husky in her ear.

But it was too much for her bear. She wanted him, yes, but there was still something that kept her completely accepting him.

"Are you going to hurt me again?"

The blond head stilled. Yuki raised himself up and stared down at her, horrified. "Kagome?"

Tears rolled down her face and straight down to her ears. Kagome lifted a hand and wiped them away. "I asked if you were going to hurt me again."

"No, sweetheart! No!" He shook his head over and over again, his green gaze darting all over her face. "Is that what you think? That I'd lay my hands on you again? Well, I won't, Kagome. I promise." His body sagged and he rolled to the side of her, gathering her into his arms. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid I let my emotions get the best of me." He kissed the side of her head. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not a very subtle man."

Kagome laughed and Yuki smiled into her hair. "I have no patience and I tend to be rather tactless. Akira told me once that I'm nothing but a spoiled child who needs a really good ass whooping. When it comes to you, I want you right now, no matter what. I don't care who I piss off or who gets in the way.

"That night," he said a little more solemnly, "all I could think of was you and Kouga together and how badly that hurt me when I realized you hadn't told me of your relationship with him. It... enraged me. I'd never felt such anger before. I mean, I've had temper tantrums before, but this was anger mixed in with hurt. I felt that you'd betrayed me, that you lied to me the whole time and I couldn't take it. The only reason I... did what I did was because I'd felt that you were the one who had hurt me the most and I reacted the only way I knew how. I struck back at the one who'd hurt me first."

He lifted a hand and smoothed her hair back, pushing it away from her neck so he could place a kiss on the exposed skin. "There was no excuse for what I did," he murmured, nipping lightly at her skin. "But I was so far gone, I couldn't stop myself. All those memories coming back, remembering the night I saw you with him... I couldn't handle it. I wanted to kill him for touching you, for daring to pass himself off as someone loyal to me even though he was romantically involved with the one I wanted."

Her body trembled and Yuki frowned. He turned her over a little and saw that she was crying. "Kagome," he whispered and would have bent down to kiss her, but she pushed him away.

"You said terrible things to me," she told him, turning her back on him. "I tried very hard to forget the way you looked at me when you blamed me for the accident. That's why I stayed with you everyday when you were in the hospital. I felt like it really _was_ my fault and I had to make up for it, even in little ways. You... hurt me, Yuki."

"I know, my darling, and I'm so sorry. I said lots of things I shouldn't have said and I hate myself for having even thought of them. I want to make it all up to you, to spend a lifetime telling you I'm sorry, if you'll just give me another chance. Akira's ordering me to take anger management classes, which I will. Um, he's even going to set me up with a therapist, maybe put me on some anti-depressants..."

Turning, Kagome stared at him with something like amazement. "Yuki? You're going to do all this... _for me_?"

He gave her a half-smile. "Well, for the both of us, really. I don't want to explode on someone like that again and I don't want to accidentally push someone I love away from me. Oh, I have something to show you." He turned over and began feeling around beneath his pillows. A moment later, he turned back to Kagome and held out a small tie-string bag made of ivory satin. "I had this made out of your wedding dress. Apparently, Ginta and Hakkaku felt it would be great fun to mail me your blood-stained dress. Anyway, it's what's inside that matters."

Kagome took it from him and untied the bag, She opened it and peered inside. Her eyes widened. "Yuki! These are our rings!" Reaching in, she pulled them out and stared at them in disbelief. "But... Hiro told me that you got rid of yours."

"I lied. I couldn't bear to part with it. The day I returned home, I found a huge mess, an unconscious man trussed up like a Christmas turkey and your wedding ring laying on the table. That was when it really hit me that you were gone and I was responsible for it. I didn't really expect that you would leave, but then again, I didn't know just how badly I'd hurt you. Damn, I'm such an idiot. A cold, unfeeling idiot." He took her ring from her and slipped it on her finger. "I want to see you wearing this again, Kagome. It would please me greatly if, while you were wearing this, that you were married to me at the same time. You know, it would make things a lot easier." He grinned down at her, kissing her fingertips. "I'd prefer it if you and our future children had my family name."

"Hmm. Not a subtle bone in your body, is there?"

Green eyes twinkling, Yuki shook his head. "Nope. Not a one."

"Well you know, Sesshoumaru is going to say no."

Yuki shrugged and kissed her chin. "So? You're a grown woman and you can make your own decisions."

For a moment, Kagome lay there, contemplating the ring on her finger. It was a beautiful as she remembered and somehow, it seemed right that it should be there. It belonged on her finger... the way she belonged to him.

"Kagome?"

"Yes?"

"Will you marry me?"

Brown eyes met green in a heated gaze.

"Yes."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

_**Epilogue**_

"Dad."

No response.

"Dad."

Still no response.

An impatient sigh, then, _"Dad!"_

"Hmm?"

"Wake up."

One emerald green eye cracked open warily. "What was that, son?"

"Wake up."

"Hmph. Can you give me one good reason for me to do so?" came the muffled reply.

"Cuz mom said so."

Yuki groaned and opened both eyes, but closed them again immediately. "Tell your mother I'm not feeling so hot right now. Okay? There's a good boy."

The boy padded away. Yuki turned over on his other side and sighed happily into his pillow. Now perhaps he'd be able to get some more sleep.

But, alas, it was not to be. A few moments later, just as he felt himself slip back into sleep, a small finger poked him in the back.

"Dad."

Stifling a sigh, Yuki grimaced against his pillow. "Yes, Toshi?"

"You have to come and help mom in the kitchen."

"I'll come in a bit."

"Okay, but Uncle Akira says that if you don't help in the kitchen right now, he'll take mom and your children to the Bahamas and you'll never see us again."

Yuki's eyes flew open and he sat up quickly, whipping around to look at him solemn-faced five year old son. Huge green eyes stared up at him from under silky brown hair and for a moment, the little boy looked exactly like his infernal cousin. "What did you just say?"

There was movement in the doorway of his bedroom and Yuki looked up to see Akira leaning casually against the doorframe, hands in his pockets. "He said _that I said _that if you didn't get your lazy bum out of that bed, I'd take your beautiful wife and your children to the Baham--"

"That's what I thought he said." Yuki threw his legs over the side of the bed and reached for his cane, but Toshi handed it to him before he could grab it. "Thanks, son. What's this about children, Akira?" He rubbed his eyes with the back of one hand. "You know as well as I do that Kagome and I only have one child."

"Oh, so she _didn't_ tell you, after all. Oops." Akira pulled one hand from his trouser pocket and thoughtfully examined his fingernails. "Well, since the cat's out of the bag... Kagome came to see me a few days ago. Said she was feeling under the weather. Well, we did a little blood test and _ta da!_" He shot his cousin a grin. "I suppose congratulations are in order."

Getting slowly to his feet, Yuki stared with shock at Akira. "But she never told me... I mean, I never even suspected that... that she..." He paused, his gaze going to the floor. "Kagome's pregnant," he whispered, a little smile crossing his face.

"Do you need help, dad?"

Yuki looked at his son, who had moved in front of him, his tiny hand held up to him, ready to aid him. "You bet, big guy," he grinned, taking Toshi's hand.

The three went down the hall, into the living room and over to the dining room, where Yuki found his mother fussing over Kagome, who was trying to tell her that she was fine. As soon as Rini saw her son and nephew appear, she motioned them over.

"Yuki, Akira, tell Kagome to sit down! I'll take care of lunch, but she needs to stay off her feet! Look! She looks pale! Doesn't she look pale? Akira, tell her she looks pale!" Rini was becoming more agitated when Kagome merely smiled at her and returned to chopping the vegetables.

"Aunt Rini, Kagome is far from pale. On the contrary, she looks rather radiant. Don't you agree, Uncle Ryu?" Akira asked, sitting down with his uncle and Hiro in the living room. Toshi followed him and crawled onto his lap.

Turning to see, Ryuji nodded and smiled at them, then turned his attention back to the television and his golf game. Hiro was on the phone with his wife Connie, who was in Hong Kong on business. Their one year old son lay asleep in his lap.

Akira smiled down at the boy in his lap, who had made himself quite comfortable and lay back against him. It was strange having a tiny version of himself... _and the boy wasn't even his._ That suited him just fine, for he loved teasing his Yuki about the incredible similarities between them, often joking how Toshi was actually _his_ son. Of course, the first time he'd joked about it, Yuki flew into a jealous rage and had to be physically held back by his father and brother, demanding to know when Akira had managed to take impregnate his wife.

Following the blow up, Yuki demanded a dna test and was immensely relieved when it was proven that the child was indeed his. Later, he'd had to beg forgiveness from Kagome, who'd been hurt to think that her husband hadn't trusted her and thought she'd been unfaithful to him. When she tried taking herself and their son away, Yuki threw himself in front of the door and refused to budge, and stayed that way until Akira had shown up and admitted to Kagome it had been his fault for starting the whole mess. Once she gave her weeping husband a stern lecture, she forgave him, much to his relief.

"Well, I see you finally woke up," Rini said tartly to her son, whose eyes refused to leave his wife's face. "Tell this young woman that I can finish making lunch."

"Kagome, Akira tells me you're pregnant again," Yuki murmured in a hushed voice, his gaze softening. "When did you first suspect that you were?"

Kagome's cheeks flushed a soft pink. "A couple of weeks ago." She shrugged. "I wasn't certain, so I went to Akira to make sure."

"Sweetheart, I'm happy," he said, with a tremulous smile, but it faltered slightly. "But I'd rather you sit down now. Mom will take care of lunch."

Rini nodded. "Yes, I'll take care of it, Kagome. We want you to rest," Rini told her kindly.

"I'm fine. I am. I'm only a month and a half along. The complications only came at the end with Toshi."

But Yuki shook his head. "I don't care." He came around the counter and took the knife from her hand. "I don't want a repeat of the last time, Kagome. Please."

Kagome looked up at her husband's worried face and touched his cheek. "I'll be fine this time, okay? Really."

He shook his head. "I nearly lost you when Toshi was born. I don't want to go through that again. I couldn't _bear_ to go through that again."

Rini pulled her into a warm hug. "None of us could, Kagome. We all love you very much. So please, go sit down and send Hiro in here. I'll put that lazy boy to work." She winked at her daughter-in-law and gently pushed her out of the kitchen. "Now go on."

"Who's lazy?" Hiro called from the living room as he got up and handed his still-sleeping son to his father.

Yuki took his wife by the hand and they went out onto the balcony, where he kissed his wife soundly. "I'll bet it'll be another boy," he said against her neck. "Boys run rampant in my family, you know."

Nodding, she smiled and kissed the spot just below his ear. "It's a girl," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Her husband straightened and frowned down at her. "How on earth do you know that?" he asked, incredulous.

Kagome rolled her eyes with a laugh and lay her head against his chest. "If you don't know that by now, Yuki, you never will."

He laughed with her and held her for several moments in silence. Then a disquieting thought struck him and tightened his grip on her. "Wait a second! A daughter?!"

Nodding, Kagome looked up at him with a curious expression. "Yes. What about it?"

"But you know what this means, don't you?" His face grew pale. "Oh god! If she looks anything like you, I'll never have a moment's peace! I'll have to get a bodyguard to beat the guys off of her!" He took Kagome firmly by the shoulders. "I won't have disgusting males crawling all over my daughter, Kagome! I'd kill any guy who tried!"

"Honey, she isn't born yet," Kagome pointed out reasonably. "You've got plenty of time before you have to turn into that frightening creature, _the zealously overprotective father_. I can't imagine how you'll react when she starts dating."

"God, I know. Can't you just wait for that to happen?" Yuki chuckled, then sighed. "I have to be honest with you, Kagome. I tried hard to be careful."

Puzzled, Kagome stared up at her husband. "What do you mean?"

He kissed her forehead. "I tried not to get you pregnant."

"But why?"

"Well, because I was afraid that if you got pregnant again, the same thing that happened with Toshi would happen again."

"Yuki..."

Shaking his head, he kissed her lips. "Don't. I can't help feeling this way, Kagome. But don't think for a minute that I don't want this baby, because I do. I really do. It's just that I want my wife, too. I want her to be safe and healthy."

His wife laughed softly and pulled his head down to hers. "I'm not going anywhere, you silly man. The baby and I will be fine, I assure you." She kissed him. "Don't worry so much. Okay?"

"You'd better be, little girl," he growled warningly. "Who else would be willing to put up with my worthless carcass or take care of such helpless males like Toshi and me?"

"That's not true, Yuki. Toshi is far from helpless." She tried to hide her smile and keep from laughing at his adorably pouting face.

"That's so mean, Kagome," he said, bending doing and biting on her neck. "But I agree. Our son is very capable for one his age. He reminds me alot of Souta."

Kagome giggled and pushed at his chest. "Toshi reminds me more of Akira when he's being serious. Just the other day he told me that he wanted to be a doctor like Akira."

"I don't like Akira," Yuki burst out, throwing a dark look over his shoulder into the living room.

"Why?"

Yuki scowled. "He's got a crush on you and I know just _know_ he's gotten to see bits of your anatomy that only I've seen. He's your naughty bits doctor, isn't he?"

"That's not true, Yuki. Akira isn't my 'naughty bits doctor', as you put it. My gynecologist is female, if you remember." She turned around in his arms and stared out over the city beyond the balcony. "Does he really have a crush on me?"

Her husband's arms tightened around her. "Oi, none of that now. I don't want to talk about it... but yeah, Akira's got a thing for you. Dirty bastard actually had the balls to come up and tell me that himself. Said that he's waiting for me to kick the bucket so he could be with you." He rubbed his cheek against the side of her head. "Brazen and shameless, that's what he is. Damn, I hate him."

"You shouldn't, you know. He's done nothing to me and he's been very good to you. He always comes by to see how your leg is doing. Akira's done a lot for this family, Yuki. I really wish you wouldn't be so hard on him."

"I know, I know. But still, I hate the fact that he gets to touch you, too. I hate it whenever I see him and he's got that irritatingly smug look on his face. That's when I know he's gotten a visit from you. Sometimes I wonder if his motives toward you are purely on a professional level."

"Darling, Akira has never been unprofessional with me. If Sesshoumaru trusts him and Kouga trusts him, then--"

"Kagome," Yuki murmured grimly in her ear, "you know I _really_ hate it when you say _his_ name."

Kagome sighed. "Oh, Yuki, don't tell me you still hate Kouga."

"Yes, I still hate _him_. I'll hate _him_ until the day I die. Hell, I hate any man who's shown an interest in you, but I hate _him_ more because he had a relationship with you."

"Don't be mean-spirited, sweetheart. He's done nothing to you."

"He had you first and I don't like that. Do you know _he_ gives me smug looks too? I really wish you'd stop inviting him over and letting him play with _my_ son."

"_Our_ son, darling," Kagome reminded him gently.

"Yeah, _mine_ and yours, not _his_ and yours. Remind him of that fact. I don't want that man within a hundred yards of you. I keep thinking he's going to steal you away from me."

"Kouga would never do anything to me, Yuki. Despite what reservations you have about him, he respects the fact that I'm married to you. He won't cross that line, no matter what."

"Well, he'd better not. I don't think Toshi would want to visit me in prison for the rest of my life."

Shaking her head, Kagome rested back against her husband. "I'm going to call Sesshoumaru today."

"What for?"

"To tell them about the baby, of course."

"Do you have to?" whined Yuki, running his hands over her flat belly.

"You know I do. They're my family." She sighed blissfully and closed her eyes as his hands brushed lightly over her sensitive breasts. "Oh, Yuki," she moaned softly, her bottom unconsciously rubbing up against his front.

He bent down to bite on her neck. "Speaking of family, I wish mine would go away for a few hours. Do you know how turned on I am right now?"

She laughed and pressed herself harder against him. "I'd noticed, yes."

"You're not making this any easier on me," he groaned into her hair. "God, don't move like that! Another minute of this and I'll whisk you inside and have you naked and spread out on our bed in five minutes."

Kagome laughed and slapped him playfully on the arm. "Oh, stop that. You'll do no such thing."

"Watch me," he growled at her and grabbed her hand, pulling her inside the apartment. "Excuse me, everyone, but my wife is going to massage my leg for a bit. It really aches, so don't disturb us, okay?" Still holding onto her hand, he hurried them through the living room and then disappeared down the hallway. A moment later, their bedroom door was shut firmly _and_ locked.

No one said anything for a long moment until Rini clicked her tongue in disapproval. "The least he could have done was told us the truth," she complained, stirring the pot of stew. "Like I wouldn't know. I mean, I could see everything from where I was standing. Besides... I'm his mother, for crying out loud! Mothers know everything."

"Rini my love, it's called tact," her doting husband said, eyes still glued to the television.

"Daddy's leg hurts again?" Toshi asked, turning to look at Akira. "Maybe you should go help mommy rub his leg, uncle Akira."

Akira, face flushing a bright red, looked over at Hiro, who stared expectantly back at him from the kitchen. "Well, uncle Akira? What are you going to do? Gonna go help Kagome rub Yuki?"

Rini raised her wooden spoon and whacked her youngest son on the head. "Hiro! You stop that right now, you filthy-minded boy!"

"Ow! Yes, mom," grunted Hiro, who was dismayed to find Akira laughing silently at him as he rubbed his head gingerly.

"Your mother will do a good job with your daddy's leg," Akira told the little boy at last. "But sometimes, there are things that only your mommy can do with your daddy to make him feel better."

"Okay," Toshi said and lay back against his torso again. Akira had the sneaking suspicion that Toshi knew much more than he let on.

But Akira did not dwell upon that thought for long. Both he and Toshi fell asleep and did not wake up until lunch was announced. When Rini went down the hall to get Yuki and Kagome, Toshi slid off of Akira's lap and looked up at him. For a second, Akira thought it was Kagome staring back at him.

"Yes, Toshi?"

Toshi blinked a couple times, then lay his small hand on Akira's knee. "You can't have mommy, uncle Akira," he whispered conspiratorially.

"Eh?" Akira was taken aback. How the hell did this little boy know something like that?

"Daddy's going to live a long time, but soon, you'll find her."

"Her, who?"

"The woman you're going to marry," finished Toshi solemnly. Then giving his relative a smile, he went to the table and climbed onto the chair next to his grandfather.

Akira was completely shaken and when he took his place at the table, he studied the little boy hard. So... he was going to be like his mother in that respect, huh?

He shook his head and smiled to himself. What Toshi had said him was exactly what Kagome had told him the day they'd done the blood test. He remembered that day well, for he'd admitted to Kagome that he loved her and would do anything for her. He'd shamelessly stolen several kisses from her as well. But Kagome, in her loving way, took his hands and told him that Yuki was the only man for her and not to wait for her because he would live a very long time.

_"I love you, Akira, but not in the way I love Yuki. You are a wonderful man and I will always adore you and be grateful for everything you've ever done for us, but you have a young woman waiting for you. After you meet her, trust me, your feelings toward me will change for good." _

The sound of Rini admonishing Yuki could be heard and soon the three were making their way towards the dining table. Yuki was rolling his eyes as his mother was telling him not to be rough with Kagome in her fragile condition. Kagome, on the other hand, looked delightfully flushed and giggled when Yuki tried to soothe his mother's nerves.

Akira sighed. What a shame it was, but what could he do about it? At least there was one thing he could take comfort in, and that was seeing Kagome's son, who looked exactly like him and wanted to be a doctor like him. He could pretend to be the boys' father, but that was silly.

He also took comfort in the fact that he was not the only one left pining for this very special woman. Sesshoumaru, Kouga, Inuyasha... they had all lost out to a man who'd mistreated her from the very beginning. It hurt and was grossly unfair, but that was life.

At least he wasn't alone. And no matter how much he may love his future wife, Akira knew that she'd never touch him the way Kagome had touched him.

ooooooooooooooooo

It was just after two pm when Sesshoumaru set his phone down in its cradle. He was happy for Kagome; of course he would be happy for her, but knowing that she was more than willing to procreate with that bastard...

He got up from his desk and walked to the windows. Staring out over his lush green lawns, Sesshoumaru stood as still as a statue, but his mind was spinning. First she remarries _him_, then she gets pregnant by _him_ and almost dies giving birth to their son. After all this, he felt that fate couldn't give him anymore reasons to hate Yuki's guts. But he was completely mistaken.

And now... this new bombshell: Kagome's second pregnancy with that bastard's child.

As much as Kagome tried to get them to become one big happy family, nothing ever worked. There was hatred and disgust from everyone on both sides, except for Souta. He was very good friends with all the Yamaderas. Sometimes he even babysat not only his nephew Toshi, but Hiro's child as well, and Rini would pamper him often, just because he was Kagome's little brother.

That irked Sesshoumaru to no end, because she knew it would piss him off when Souta would bring home the gifts she'd bought him. Sesshoumaru couldn't very well tell Souta _not_ to go to Yuki's home or to accept Rini's gifts because he was old enough to do as he pleased. But still... it really bothered him.

So... how to tell the others? Kouga would be furious, and so would Ginta and Hakkaku, not to mention Inuyasha. Inuyasha, thankfully, had gone back to his former girlfriend Kikyo and Sesshoumaru suspected that he had done so only because she looked alot like Kagome. After Kagome had gotten married again, Inuyasha had taken off and reappeared a month later. Sesshoumaru found out from Kouga that Inu had stayed at his home in the country, helping him and the Kawase brothers work on redoing Kouga's mother's koi pond and gardens. It had been backbreaking labor, but Inuyasha threw himself into it in order to forget that the woman he wanted had married someone else.

Returning to his chair, Sesshoumaru did something he rarely did. He poured himself a healthy glass of whiskey, straight. He took a swig and leaned back, closing his eyes.

ooooo

When he woke up, he found a small, solemn face with a pair of bright green eyes staring at him.

"Uncle Sesshoumaru? Are you okay?"

Sesshoumaru sat up and set his empty glass on his desk beside Toshi's thigh. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you. How are you doing, Toshi? Where's your mommy?"

"She's with Uncle Souta. She's telling him about the new baby," Toshi said, then added, "I'm fine, thanks. I was more worried about you, though."

"Oh really? Why is that?" Sesshoumaru rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and yawned.

"Because you're hurting."

Sesshoumaru dropped his hands from his face and stared openly at the boy sitting on his desk. "What do you mean?"

In a gesture that reminded him of Kagome and Souta, Toshi put out his small hand and lightly touched his uncle's forearm. "I can see it all around you, Uncle Sesshoumaru, and I can feel it too. I don't want you to feel sad."

Scooting close to the desk, Sesshoumaru picked up the boy and held him close. "I don't feel sad when I'm with the ones I love," he said to Toshi, who hugged him back.

"I'm sorry, uncle. I'm sorry that you'll never have mommy. I know you love her a whole lot."

Hearing the little boy's words, Sesshoumaru squeezed his eyes tightly shut. "I know. I'm sorry too. But many times, we don't always get what we want." He rocked the boy gently.

When Toshi fell asleep, Sesshoumaru noticed that Kagome was standing in the doorway of his study. She looked so beautiful and radiant that it took his breath away. "Hello, beloved," he said quietly, giving her a tender smile.

"Hi, Sess," she said coming over to him and bending over, gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I see he found you. He begged me to bring him over here to see you. He was worried about you."

"I know. He told me why." Sesshoumaru studied Kagome and taking one of her hands in his, lightly kissed her palm. "He knows an awful lot about things most kids wouldn't know. It's most unsettling."

Kagome smiled and nodded as she interlaced her fingers with Sesshoumaru's. "Are you truly happy for me?" she asked, running her free hand down her abdomen.

Sesshoumaru nodded and releasing her hand, placed his hand over hers on her belly. "I am, really. I just can't help but wish that it was my child." His eyes moved upwards until his gaze met hers. "I'm still in love with you, Kagome," he said, the gold of his eyes darkening with passion.

"I know," she said, and together, they watched her son sleep peacefully in Sesshoumaru's arms.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The End.

A/N: Okay! This ending is finally completed! Just one more to go...

Kouga's ending is still up on my LiveJournal for anyone interested in reading it...

http://raven-skye75. chapter has surpassed Kouga's ending as the longest chapter I've ever written. My poor, poor wrists... Oh, btw, you should never treat a suicidal person the way that is depicted in this fic. It is not the proper way to deal with someone in that position.

I hope you enjoy Yuki's ending! Peace!

Raven Skye Blackhawk


	28. Alternate ending: Kouga

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Blindsided

A/N: Hey guys, I decided (very, VERY belatedly... can we say, Doh!) to put up the alternate endings on here anyway. I should have done this before, but I was so eager to post Kouga's ending. (cuz I WUVS him!) Sorry, sorry, sorry for all the confusion! I usually just do stuff _before_ I sit down and think about it. bows head in shame Sumimasen!

So here you go...

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Kouga's ending

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

When Kagome had made no move to stop the elevator doors from shutting between them, but a second elevator had just reached the ground floor. Kouga waited impatiently as an elderly couple alighted from the car, but the second they vacated it, he dashed inside and quickly pressed the button for Yuki's floor. It started up a moment later.

He paced restlessly, praying that he reached Kagome in time. Despite the fact that Kagome was Morikawa Sesshoumaru's step-sister, murder was still murder, no matter who you were. The only thing that kept him from completely losing his mind was the fact that Kagome had never handled a gun before. But even so, lucky first-time shots weren't unheard of.

"Damn it, hurry the fuck up!" he yelled, eyes going to the numbers over the doors. It was with great relief when the light arrived at the correct number and he nearly forced the doors open when the car came to a stop. Squeezing himself out from between the sliding doors, he immediately turned to look down the hallway in the direction of Yuki's apartment. He saw Kagome getting slowly to her feet, gun aimed straight at Yuki's chest.

_"Kagome!"_ he yelled and took off down the hall. It wasn't until he came closer than he realized that it was not Yuki she was aiming at. A strange, creepy looking guy was emerging from the open doorway and even though there was a gun pointed right at him he continued to advance towards Yuki.

Yuki had looked over at Kouga when he came to halt, then turned all the way around when he saw Kouga staring hard at the area behind him. The blond man was thoroughly startled at the sight of the man staring back at him with something like lunacy in his eyes.

"Who the hell are you?" asked Yuki, taking a step back. "And why the fuck were you in my house?"

The man shook his head. "You don't know me, but you knew my daughter. My... little girl." He raised angry, tear-filled eyes to Yuki's face and pointed the end of his machete at him. "You killed her, you heartless bastard! You killed my baby!"

But Yuki shook his head vehemently. "I've never killed anyone in my life, pal, so go back to that rock you slithered out from under. You just want money from me, don't you? Here you go." He yanked out his wallet from his the back pocket of his trousers and grabbed a single bill, flinging it in the man's face. "Now get the fuck out before I call security."

Kouga groaned, but kept an eye on Kagome, who'd let the hand holding his gun drop to her side. "You shouldn't talk to people like that, Yuki," he said in a low voice.

Yuki snorted. "Why the hell not? He trespassed in my home. Hell, I even gave him some money. I think I've been rather generous here."

The man's face contorted and filled with fury. "Generous? You slept with my daughter and led her to believe that she was something special to you! She fell in love with you but you told her that one time with her was more than enough for you. You led her on! How could you? She was in love with you!"

"Not to sound conceited, but you could say that about almost every woman I've been with," Yuki remarked casually. Inwardly, however, he winced. How would Kagome feel about him after hearing all this? He glanced over at Kouga, who was keeping his attention divided between the weirdo on his doorstep and Kagome, who looked about ready to pass out. "You'll have to be more specific, although I can't promise that I'll know who you're talking about."

"My daughter's name was Tsubaki. After you tore her heart to pieces, she fell into a deep depression. When she read in the newspapers that you were engaged to be married, she took her own life, overdosing on the valium her doctor prescribed her." The mourning father's hand shook, gripping the large knife hard until the knuckles shown white. "All she did was love you... and you... _YOU_... brought about her death. I want compensation for the life you so thoughtlessly took! Too bad that guy I paid to kill you didn't do what he promised."

With a heavy sigh, Yuki shifted his stance. His knee ached horrendously and he desperately wanted to lie down and take a painkiller. He reached into his front trouser pocket for his cell phone and flipped it open, his thumb already dialing the number for the building's security. "Look, like I said, I never killed anyone. You can't seriously _blame_ me for your daughter's inability to cope with rejection, if indeed I was the one who rejected her. I prefer my women to be able to handle anything that comes their way; not some silly little girl who has these ridiculous fantasies about men who are out of their league."

The man stood quite still for a moment, then all of a sudden he lunged at Yuki, the deadly blade raised and ready to strike. Yuki fell back and waited for the blow, but it never came.

Kouga had sensed the man's tension as it snapped and leapt at him, knocking him down to the ground. He straddled the writhing, yelling intruder, squeezing the fingers that held the knife tightly together. The man screamed in pain and let go, allowing Kouga to wrench the hilt away from him and toss the blade a short ways down the hall. Then Kouga flipped the man over onto his stomach and pinned his wrists together behind his back. "Stop yelling, mister, or I'll have to knock you out."

The sound of cloth being ripped caused him and Yuki to look over where Kagome stood. She had torn the bottom of her shirt off and handed the strip to Kouga, who took it from her with a grateful smile.

"Thanks, honey," he said as he tied the man's hands together. "It looks as though we'll have to get you a new shirt, huh? Although I must admit you look really hot showing your tummy like that." He grinned up at her, sending her a saucy wink.

Kagome averted her burning face but she leaned over and held out Kouga's gun to him. Unfortunately, she was handing it back with the barrel pointing straight at his chest.

Kouga's life flashed before his eyes and he swiftly dived out of the way. "Whoa!" he yelled and grabbed the gun from her, quickly flipping the safety on with a shaky finger. "Kagome, baby, please don't point guns at people like that," he groaned, wiping the sweat from his brow as he tucked the weapon safely in the back of his jeans. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

She got down on her knees and took his face in her hands and gave him a sad, apologetic smile. He merely leaned over and gave her a peck on the lips. "Have I told you I loved you today?" he asked, pressing his forehead against hers.

Kagome shook her head, a delighted smile curving her lips. Kouga grinned broadly and kissed her again. "I love you, Kagome," he said, slipping his arms around her waist.

But the romantic interlude was interrupted by a loud thumping sound. Both of them turned to see a very red-faced Yuki standing over them with glittering, wrathful green eyes, and twirling his cane impatiently. "I'd almost forgotten about your treachery, _Kouga_," he hissed, as the cane spun faster. It suddenly came to a halt and Kouga found the end of a walking stick pointing directly at his face. "You... _asshole_! You stole her from me!"

Kouga rose to his feet, knocking the cane out of his face. "She wasn't yours to steal in the first place, Yuki. You can say whatever you like, but everyone here knows exactly how you treated her before your accident. In case you've forgotten, you weren't much of a gentleman to her."

"I don't know how he treated her," muttered the figure on the floor. "Tell me."

Kouga delivered a swift kick to his thigh. "Shut up. This conversation doesn't concern you." Kouga turned back to Yuki, whose gaze had shifted to Kagome, and he stepped in front of her, shielding her from Yuki's eyes. "Don't look at her that way," he said quietly, his hand reaching for hers. There was immense relief when she slipped her hand into his. "It bothers me the way you're staring at her."

"If it bothers you, then leave," Yuki retorted smoothly, leaning slightly on his cane. He lifted a hand to smooth back his golden locks. "And take your friend with you." He indicated the trussed man on the floor with a small wave of his hand.

"Oh, I'll leave, alright," Kouga said, sending his former employer a sly smile. Interlacing his fingers with Kagome's, Kouga turned and headed down the hallway towards the elevators, pulling her along behind him.

"Oi! Where are you going? Kagome? Wait! Please stay! I want to talk to you!" cried the blond, but Kouga ignored him, although Kagome turned around and glanced back at Yuki. "Please! Please don't go, Kagome," he called out hoarsely.

Seeing the sadness and regret in his beautiful face, Kagome tugged at Kouga's hand, stopping him. He looked back at her. "Kagome? What's wrong?"

She shook her head and removed her hand from his with a sad smile, then turned around and headed back towards Yuki, whose face lit up with joy. Kouga, stunned by what she'd just done, felt the old familiar feeling of his heart tearing apart. After all Yuki had done to her, after all the hurt and pain Yuki had caused her, she still went back to him. But even though every instinct in him urged him to run away from her and never look back, he couldn't move a muscle. She may continue to make mistake after mistake with that guy, but he'd never leave her side, no matter how badly it hurt him.

"I'll wait for you downstairs, okay, Kagome?"

Kagome looked back at him and shook her head, putting her hand up, giving him the sign to wait. Kouga acknowledged it, all the while suppressing the urge to storm down the hallway and beat the shit out of Yuki if he so much as touched her.

"Oh, Kagome!" Yuki exclaimed tenderly, putting his arms around her. He ignored the dirty looks Kouga was sending him from his spot by the elevators as he kissed her cheek. "You don't know how I've wanted a chance to apologize to you for everything I'd put you through!" He buried his face in her hair. "I was a monster to you--"

"There's no argument there," the black-haired man called out spitefully from down the hall.

"-- and I know that there's very little chance of you forgiving me, but I want to be with you, Kagome. I love you so much--"

This time it was Kagome who interrupted him. She pushed at his chest and took a step back, her eyes filling with tears. Taking out her notepad, she began to write, leaving Yuki looking puzzled.

"Kagome? What's wrong? Are you okay?" he asked, reaching out and taking the hand that was writing.

She looked up and smiled reassuringly at him, but continued to write. Yuki was confused. What had happened to her?

"As usual, you're too wrapped up in your own problems that you never even noticed she hasn't spoken a word since she's been here," Kouga remarked coldly.

Yuki took Kagome by the shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "Sweetheart, what's happened to your voice?" he demanded, but a steel-like hand wrenched him away from her.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me," muttered Kouga, stepping between her and Yuki. "Look, she can't speak, Yuki. And before you continue to ask questions that are physically impossible for her to answer, Kagome's been mute since the night you beat her up." He whirled around took hold of Kagome, who'd finished writing. "Are you done, baby? Let's go now."

Kagome nodded and tearing the paper off the pad, she folded it and handed it to Yuki with a smile before allowing Kouga to once again lead her back down towards the elevators.

"No, wait!" Yuki cried out.

Kouga ignored him and pressed the down button. By the time the car arrived to take them down to the ground floor, Yuki had managed to hobble down the hall after them, but it was too late. Kouga quickly ushered Kagome into the elevator, then physically blocked the entrance so Yuki couldn't enter.

"You had your chance, and you blew it. Get over it." Just as the doors began to slide closed, Kouga dropped voice to a threatening whisper, "She's mine, Yuki. You'll never, e_ver_, have her."

He stepped back and the doors closed, leaving Yuki alone in the hallway with the man who'd wanted him dead. Whipping out his phone, Yuki dialed Sesshoumaru's number with great reluctance. "Hello, Morikawa. I _really_ hate to do this, but I need your help." He turned to look at the guy on the floor. The bastard had managed to scoot around and was watching him at this very moment. Yuki shivered as Sesshoumaru reminded him of his parting words the day before, to which Yuki replied, "Well excuse the fuck outta me, but I can't really call the cops to handle this situation, now can I? I'm a wanted man, remember?" He paused as Sesshoumaru chuckled in his ear. "Look, I'll pay restitution to her, okay? I'll do anything, just come get this guy! Oh, and one other thing. Tell Kouga to back off Kagome, would ya?"

There was silence on Sesshoumaru's end.

Yuki continued, keeping his eyes on the figure on the floor. "I don't want her near him, man. He's no good for her. Hey, now wait a sec. Why the hell are you defending him? He's a murderer, for kami's sake!" Yuki looked away for a second and when he looked back, he saw that the intruder had somehow inched closer to him. _"And hurry the fuck up!"_ he yelled into the phone. _"This motherfucker is psycho!"_

Thankfully, security, as well as Naraku (who had been lurking at the other end of the hallway the entire time), arrived just as the bound man had managed to get to his feet, a homicidal look in his eyes.

While Naraku was busy taking the man away and chatting with the security guards (and quite possibly bribing them to keep silent), Yuki looked down at the paper in his hand. With a feeling of trepidation, he opened it.

As he read it, tears fell down his face. No matter how tender her words were, Yuki still felt his world come to screeching halt.

_'Yuki, I'm sorry that you believed the worst of me, but I want you to know that I have always loved you and cared about you and I always will. Sometimes I wish that I had told you of what was coming, warned you of what was ahead, but I could not. It was something that you, as well as I, needed to go through. _

_'I know you wonder if I'll ever forgive you, but I already have. The moment you walked away from me that night, I forgave you. You are special to me and if you ever need a friend, I'll be there for you. Love Always, Kagome.'_

Trudging back to his apartment, Yuki collapsed on his leather sofa and sobbed like a child.

He'd lost her for good.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Still feeling like the world was coming to an end, Kouga took her to see her step-brothers and Souta. They all rejoiced at the sight of her; Inuyasha and Souta even made a sandwich out of her with Sesshoumaru and Kouga looking on.

"Kagome, come into my office for a minute, please," requested Sesshoumaru and she followed him obediently, leaving Kouga and Inuyasha to glare hatefully at each other.

Kagome embraced Sesshoumaru once he closed the door. Sesshoumaru held her tightly, whispering to her how much he loved her and missed her, and how he wished that that terrible thing had never happened to her. He regretted not saving her from that monster, he told her sadly. Perhaps if he'd followed his intuition and refused to allow her to marry such an unsavory character...

But Kagome shook her head and standing on tiptoe, kissed his cheek. Pulling her notepad from her back pocket, Kagome quickly scribbled down, 'Everything happens for a reason, Sess. I don't regret going through all that to save him.'

Amazed, Sesshoumaru shook his head. "But Kagome! He hurt you! I want him to pay for what he's done to you!"

Again she shook her head and wrote in her notepad. 'I don't want to press charges against him. Please.' She paused, then wrote, 'I forgave him already. It's over now.'

"I don't like it, beloved. He's getting off easily for committing a crime against you. He needs to be taught a lesson."

She hung her head and wiped her eyes. 'I already did that,' she wrote with a shaky hand. 'I told him I would always be his friend...' Her hand shook too hard and she lay her writing things down on Sesshoumaru's desk.

Sesshoumaru held her as she cried, but inside he was overjoyed. She'd told him she'd always be his friend, huh? That was just a nice way of saying she didn't want to be with him. "Thank god," Sesshoumaru murmured into her hair. "Thank god for that." He waited a moment then asked if she would stay with him for a few days. "I've missed you so much, my darling. I didn't like not knowing where you were, although I must say that it relieved my mind knowing you were with Kouga. I know that you were completely safe in his care."

Nodding, Kagome smiled dreamily up at her guardian and once more taking up her pen and paper, she wrote, 'Sess, there's something I want to ask you.'

"Okay, little one. I'll grant you anything," he replied indulgently.

ooo

A few minutes later, Sesshoumaru didn't feel so indulgent, but since his little girl wanted this, he would make certain she would get it. Sighing heavily, he said, "If you wish, Kagome. Just as long as you're certain this is what you really want. Personally, I don't like it, but if it makes you happy, then that's all that matters to me."

A broad smile lit up her face and she threw herself at Sesshoumaru, hugging him tightly.

When the two of them emerged from his study, they saw Kouga and Souta talking quietly in the doorway of the dining room. Inuyasha was nowhere to be seen.

"Aniue, Kagome," called Souta, raising his hand in greeting. "The cook says she ready to serve lunch now. Inu's already waiting in the dining room."

"Thank you, Souta," said Sesshoumaru as he and Kagome approached them. "Kouga, we would be honored if you would stay for lunch." He stopped walking and stepped to the side, allowing Kagome to precede him into the room.

Kouga looked at Kagome, who glanced at him over her shoulder. "Um, sure, boss man. I guess so," he said uncertainly. "If Kagome would like for me to stay, then I'll stay."

"Oh, just come in and eat already," Inuyasha called out from his place at the table. "You know she wants you to stay."

_She wants me to stay?_ Kouga thought, his heart feeling a bit lighter than it had earlier. But as he sat down beside her, he wondered what she'd written on the sheet of paper that she'd given to Yuki and he couldn't help but recall the look of tenderness on her face when she smiled at the bastard. His heart broke a little more at the memory. She still loved Yuki; that much was plain to see.

Towards the end of the meal, Sesshoumaru cleared his throat and looked directly at Kouga. "You know, I asked Kagome to stay with me for a few days. As you know, her brothers and I miss her terribly."

Kouga nodded in understanding and Sesshoumaru continued. He fancied that the elder Morikawa looked rather displeased at what he was about to say.

"However, my beloved wishes to remain under your roof for a little while longer. Apparently, she has taken a liking your house and has an overwhelming desire to explore your rather amazing backyard." He took a delicate sip of tea, his eyes watching Kouga steadily over the rim.

It took Kouga a minute to realize just what Sesshoumaru had said to him... and yet another minute for it to sink in. Kagome... _wanted to stay with him?_ Pure happiness exploded within him and he turned to look at his darling girl, who was blushing crazily, her eyes downcast.

He took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I would be honored, Kagome. You can stay as long as you like." His mind was in a whirl. _She wanted to stay with him!_

Sesshoumaru had begun speaking again, but Kouga was not paying attention. He was far more considered about Kagome and how to keep her in his life forever. Hopefully, he wouldn't screw up. Please, kami, don't let him screw up!

ooo

A week later found Kouga helping Kagome clean his kitchen while Ginta and Hakkaku were outside working in the garden. While she was sweeping the floor, Kouga couldn't help casting longing glances at her backside.

Mrs. Hamashira called him the day before, telling him to attend the party that she and her husband were holding to allow the neighborhood to meet Kagome. Of course, Kouga couldn't tell her no, for she had once been friends with his parents and she was now his friend. She looked out for him, and had even tried finding him a wife at one time. That had occurred two years ago, but at the time he was far more interested in keeping his bachelor lifestyle intact; a wife was the _very_ last thing that he wanted.

But now all that had changed, he thought as he held open the garbage bag for Kagome as she dumped the contents of the dustpan into it.

'Thank you,' she mouthed at him gratefully, sending him a sweet smile.

"A-anytime," he stuttered as he recovered from the jolt that had passed through him. "Um, Kagome? I've been meaning to ask you..."

She turned to face him, a questioning look in her eyes.

"Well, we've been invited to a party this afternoon and I've accepted for us. You don't have to go if you don't want to. It's just something so that the nosy old ladies who live around here can have their curiosity sated. Mrs. Hamashira has been telling them all about you, although she's never even seen you either." He lowered his voice. "She's probably got private investigators watching the house for any glimpse of you." He made a face and Kagome laughed silently.

Kagome nodded, causing Kouga to sigh with relief. "Excellent. Thank you, Kagome. If you had refused, Mrs. Hamashira would bug me until she got to see you close up."

Taking her notepad, Kagome wrote, 'What about Ginta and Hakkaku?'

"Oh, I've told them already. They've _gotta_ go. They have no choice." Kouga grinned wickedly. "Mrs. Hamashira has a friend whose got two granddaughters that are in desperate need of husbands," he told Kagome as they walked to the back of the house and watched the shirtless Kawase brothers slaving away in the garden. "I think she'll be aiming for Ginta, though. Ginta is the more responsible of the two and honestly, he'd be more open to a committed relationship. Hakkaku has a few more years to go before he's anywhere near ready to be with just one woman." He sighed and pulled Kagome against him. "He's alot like I was a year ago. It'd be great if he and Ginta found a woman like you."

The girl in his arms scribbled something quickly then showed him. Kouga smiled down at her and read it. His smile froze, however, when he read it. His confused blue gaze jumped to her face. "Kagome? What's this? You think Ginta's hot and you want to-- do _what to him_?" He snatched the notepad from her hand and shook it. _"And what's this about Hakkaku's ass--?!" _he yelped, his eyes bulging in his head.

But Kagome only grinned and stuck her tongue out at him before running away. Kouga laughed suddenly. "Oi! Come back here, you! Where do you think you're going?" He chased after her.

She darted outside and dashed towards Ginta, who caught her as she nearly tripped on her own feet. "Hey, careful! Don't want ya to get hurt. Kouga'd have a fit." He put his hands on her slim waist to steady her.

"Keep your hands off of her!" Kouga yelled running up to them.

Ginta's head came up. "Huh? Cool it, Kouga. She just tripped, that's all, and I caught her." He let her go, but felt Kagome's arms slip around his naked waist and she moved behind him, allowing her hand to run up and down his sweat-covered, chiseled abs as she peered around him at Kouga, who was watching them with narrowed blue eyes.

"Um, Kagome-neesan? What are you doing?" His voice shook slightly as he tried not to laugh at the situation and even though he would never admit it, (at least to Kouga) the sensation of having her soft, small hands on his skin felt really good. In that moment, Ginta forced himself to admit that he was jealous of Kouga and the relationship he had with Kagome. He hoped that one day, he'd be as happy and contented as Kouga was. But at this very moment, he couldn't help having dirty thoughts concerning his friend's woman.

"She's tormenting me," Kouga chuckled. "Come here, short stuff, and I promise not to punish you too severely."

The young woman shook her head stubbornly, but then set her sights on Hakkaku, who was jamming out to the music on his mp3 player.

Kouga's lips curled into a wolfish grin. "Oh, no you don't, babe. Don't you dare--"

But Kagome darted off in Hakkaku's direction and Kouga took off after her. As she raced past Hakkaku, she grabbed his butt and took off, leaving a very startled Hakkaku behind. (um, no pun intended here, dear readers)

Kouga followed Kagome through the grove of trees and out the other end of the path, where he caught her and tickled her senseless. When the tears streamed down her face, Kouga stopped and sat down on the ground, pulling her onto his lap. They sat quietly for a moment, chests heaving in unison.

"You're a troublesome little minx," he muttered after awhile, bowing his head and giving the side of her neck a gentle nip. "I ought to turn you over on my knee and spank you for putting me through that." He tightened his embrace when she laughed at him. "Don't you _ever_ touch another man like that again, Kagome."

He took her hands in his, folding them in his much larger ones and said, "I know you did it in fun, sweetie, and that's fine. But when you ran these down Ginta's stomach, the look in his eyes told me that he liked what you were doing to him. There was definitely a spark of attraction there."

Startled, Kagome turned concerned eyes to Kouga, who gave her a gentle smile. "You can't help being attractive to men, and I understand that. I just don't want to have to go around beating guys up who take any physical contact from you the wrong way." He moved forward to kiss her tenderly. "I'm a really jealous guy, Kagome. You know this. It took all my willpower not to murder Yuki on the spot when you agreed to marry him. I wanted to rip his body apart with my bare hands and leave him out for the vultures to snack on."

She shuddered and releasing her hands, Kouga wrapped his arms around her. "Oh, that reminds me. You need something to wear for the party, right?"

She nodded and Kouga put his hands beneath her bottom, pushing her to her feet. When he got up, he took her by the hand and led her back to the house. Ginta and Hakkaku were still working in the garden, but Kagome saw that when she came near, both of them turned to look at her and smiled at her. Their smiles, like their gazes, were more direct and she got the distinct impression that they were looking at her in a new light. At her side, Kagome could feel Kouga tense up.

Kagome stopped and bowed to the brothers, and looked as apologetic as possible. The brothers appeared to be a bit disappointed, but they only grinned and said it was okay, that they knew she was only playing around.

Behind her, Kagome sensed that Kouga had relaxed and she sighed inwardly. A tense situation had just been diffused. Bestowing a brilliant smile on Kouga, she held out her hand and allowed him to lead her away to the house.

"Now then," Kouga said finally as they reached the second story landing. "I have just the dress for you. Wait in my bedroom, if you please."

She did and a few minutes later, he returned with the most beautiful kimono she had ever seen. The silk was alive with deep, peaceful blues and greens. White and gold koi appeared to be swimming here and there among multi-colored water lilies. The obi was purple, blending delightfully with the blue and green of the dress.

Kagome's eyes filled with tears as she stroked the cool material. Even if she could speak, she wouldn't have known what to say.

"It would really please me if you would agree to wear this," he told her seriously. "Will you wear it for me, Kagome?"

She was so taken by the dress, she could not help but agree to his request.

ooo

Three hours later, Kagome stood before Kouga's floor length mirror, staring at her reflection. The kimono, she thought with some surprise, looked rather nice on her. She turned this way and that, studying how it looked on her from different angles and as she studied it, there was something about it that struck her as odd. But what was it?

A knock came on the bedroom door and Kouga came in. "Kagome? Are you finished dressing? Oh, wow." He came over to her and looked her up and down. "You... look amazing." His head dipped down and he kissed the side of her neck. "You smell amazing, too. I hope I'll be able to keep my dirty mitts off of you, babe," he joked, biting her earlobe.

Lifting her hands to his chest, she pushed him away playfully while he grinned. A second later, his brows shot up. "Oh yeah! I came in here for a reason," he said, digging around in his front trouser pocket. He pulled out a rather old, yellowed box and handed it to her. "Open it. I want you to wear that too, if you don't mind."

Kagome frowned curiously and opened it. Inside was a large antiquish-looking ring with a brilliant ruby set in what looked like a nest of strangely shaped... feathers? No, that wasn't it. The way the metal was carved, it looked almost like hands cupping the red gem, but she couldn't be sure. The ring had to be over century old, anyway. Perhaps the metal had worn down or something.

"I thought it would look great with your dress." He removed it gently from the box and slid it onto the ring finger of her left hand. "Kagome? I would be honored if you'd keep this ring."

Kagome shook her head and tried to hand the ring back, but Kouga shook his head. "No, Kagome. I _want_ you to have it. It suits you and... and I can't think of anyone who'd I rather give it to than you. So, will you? Keep it, I mean?" When she nodded reluctantly, Kouga looked relieved. "I'm so glad! Well, it's just about time to leave. Are you ready?"

oooooooooo

The moment Kagome entered her hostess' garden, she felt a little uneasy. It hadn't taken long for her to notice that the only women who were wearing kimonos were the older women. Not one unmarried female here was wearing a kimono. So why had Kouga insisted that she wear one?

Kagome glanced up at her handsome escort, who was leading her to an elderly, stately-looking couple who were greeting guests.

"Kouga!" cried the elderly lady when they approached. She was wearing an elegant purple kimono with black and gold edging. "I'm so glad you could come, my dear boy! I see you've dragged your friends along," she said with a conspiratorial wink before turning to look at Kagome. Her wrinkled hands went dramatically up to her chest and she gasped. "And you," she breathed, "are simply stunning." She took Kagome by the hands and looked her up and down. "What a lovely kimono, my dear. Very charming. It looks rather familiar somehow. Oh well, never mind. I just adore how it looks on you."

Then her eyes traveled to Kagome's left hand and saw the ring on the younger woman's finger. "Oh, my, what's this?" She lifted the beringed hand to get a better look and when she had done so, her eyes widened.

Kagome was puzzled by the look on her hostess' face. Her gaze shot to Kouga's face, but to her consternation, while he showed no emotion whatsoever, he kept his eyes averted as his hands fidgeted nervously. Kagome didn't like his behavior. It wasn't like him to act like this.

In the background, Kagome heard the giggling of young women. With a slight frown creasing her brow, Kagome looked in the direction Kouga's gaze. Hakkaku and Ginta were talking rather animatedly with three very attractive young women.

Mrs. Hamashira tugged at Kouga's arm, pulling him down to her and she whispered in his ear for nearly a full minute. He nodded solemnly and set off in his friends' direction. Kagome was stunned, wanting to call out to him but saddened and frustrated that she wasn't able to.

"What a lovely ring, my dear. No doubt it's extremely valuable. I should keep it safe, if I were you." Mrs. Hamashira smiled gently at her and patted her hand. "Come, Kagome, let me introduce you to my friends."

Each of the elderly and middle-aged ladies she met stared hard at her borrowed ring and kimono, communicating in excited whispers behind their hands or fans. But Kagome did not understand what was going on. After nearly an hour of feeling like a flamingo amidst a group of penguins, Kagome was seriously contemplating ditching the party and just walking back to Kouga's house. Speaking of him, he was laughing and talking with the same young ladies Ginta and Hakkaku were still speaking with. What was worse, not _once_ had he looked over in her direction, even though she was desperately trying to send him mental messages to come be with her. Nothing worked and it left Kagome feeling incredibly alone, even being in the midst of the group of the elderly women.

Even stranger, she realized that none of the unmarried males present came over to speak to her. She could see that some of them were casting longing glances her way, but they did not budge.

That settled it. Kagome bided her time until the old women were no longer paying attention to her, then she slipped away from the party and headed for the woods on the outskirts of the Hamashiras' property. Once there, she picked up her skirts and began walking briskly away as the tears fell from her eyes. Kouga hadn't even noticed she'd gone; if he had, he'd have gotten to her by now.

But he was busy entertaining those beautiful girls, along with Ginta and Hakkaku.

Kagome heaved a shaky sigh as she wiped the tears away with the back of her free hand. Of course he'd flirt with them. She'd seen them. They were all beautiful girls, slim and elegant. So unlike her...

Thankfully, Kouga's house was not far from the Hamashiras' house and she reached it quickly. She went around to the back and went in through the back door which Kouga kept unlocked. After going upstairs, she changed and laid the kimono out on Kouga's bed, while checking to make sure she hadn't damaged it in any way.

Next, she slipped the ring from her finger and replaced it in its box. Just why he'd asked her to keep it, she had no idea, but there was no question of her doing so. As Mrs. Hamashira had said, it was obviously a very valuable ring, but she had no right to keep it. Besides, Kouga would probably want to give it to his future wife one day. He shouldn't have made the mistake of thoughtlessly giving it to a woman who'd continually hurt him.

That last thought filled her with despair and she began to weep. Kouga deserved so much better than her, and for her to get jealous over him flirting with other women was just ridiculous. If he felt the need to look elsewhere for a suitable companion, she should let him and stop acting so stupid. After all she'd put him through, it was the least she could do.

When she had completely composed herself, Kagome went outside and headed straight for the grove of trees. When she came out the other side, she knelt down on the ground and stared out over the majesty below. The view was magnificent, she thought, trying to clear her mind. She desperately needed to meditate and she wished to kami that Miroku was here with her. Or better yet, she wished that the two of them could return to Mount Koya and that temple where they prayed and meditated for three days. She wanted to eat dinner with the head monk and talk of everything and nothing as they had done before.

With a small smile, Kagome closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. It did not take long for her mind to go blank, as her soul embraced the thrumming of nature around her.

She was so caught up in her simple, peaceful thoughts that she did not even realize when the sun had set.

ooo

Kouga wanted to rip his hair out. Damn, wouldn't these silly little girls ever to shut up? Didn't their jaws hurt from yapping so much? Sheesh...

He allowed his eyes to wander for the first time in over an hour. He wondered how Kagome was holding up against those annoying, gossiping old women. He wished he'd been able to stay with her, but Mrs. H didn't trust Ginta and Hakkaku to be around her granddaughters.

_"Get over there and keep a very close eye on those hoodlum friends of yours, Kouga. If something happens to any of my granddaughters, I'll steal Kagome away from you and marry her off to Takeda. Got it? He's actively looking for a wife, I'll have you know,"_ she hissed in his ear.

What was worse, he _knew_ that she was perfectly capable of carrying out that little threat she made, just as Kouga _knew_ there was no way he'd let her marry Kagome off to her grandson. That _really _chafed his ass since Mrs. Hamashira's eldest grandson was a lot like Sesshoumaru. The blasted man had wealth, brains, _and_ looks. At that moment, Takeda was standing at the edge of the veranda and talking to a couple of well-dressed stiffs. They were all sipping champagne and apparently deep in some serious conversation.

After sending the irritatingly perfect grandson a dirty look, Kouga glanced around, taking in every female who was wearing a kimono. There were several women wearing brightly colored kimonos, but none of them were clad in a blue and green one with a purple obi.

"What's wrong, Kouga?" Ginta asked, also looking weary of the constant female chatter. The girls had excused themselves and went to get something to drink, leaving the three of them breathing sighs of relief.

"I'm not sure, but I can't see Kagome anywhere."

"Maybe she went into the house," offered Hakkaku, lighting up. "It's gotta be hot in that thing you made her wear."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Kouga took a cigarette that Hakkaku thoughtfully handed to him and lit it. "And it's called a _kimono_, Hakkaku. Not a _thing_."

Ginta shot his little brother a worried look, before staring over at Kouga again. "You haven't smoked in months, Kouga. What's goin' on?"

Shrugging, Kouga took a drag. "I'm afraid of Mrs. H. Do you know that she threatened to marry Kagome off to that... that... _pompous prick_ Takeda if you guys so much as touch those girls?" His gaze shifted to the Kawase brothers. "So if either of you lay a finger on them, and I'll make you regret being straight. I'm not losing my woman to _that,_" he muttered, pointing the hand that held his cigarette in Takeda's direction. "So don't fuck up."

Hakkaku grimaced. "Hey, c'mon, Kouga. Haven't you been keeping an eye on us for the last hour? Didn't you notice us getting tired of them? Shit, they never shut the fuck up."

"Oi, show a little respect, Hakkaku. They may annoy the crap out of us, but they _are_ Mrs. H's grandkids."

Ginta spoke up. "Oh please, Kouga. The only woman we've ever truly respected is Kagome-neesan. Those chicks have been trying their damnedest to get into our pants since we got here, and that tells me that it's not us that old lady Hamashira should be worried about. I'd be willing to be my share of the _Kaze_ that not one of them is still a virgin."

"Yeah. They look pretty skanky to me, too," added Hakkaku with a smirk. "Damn, some girls are so easy. But Kagome-neesan's like, hot, but without being a ho. It's a nice change, ya know? I could totally see myself being with a chick like her. Just wish there were more girls out there like that."

Kouga couldn't hold back a proud smile. His girl was super-special and it touched him that his boys knew she was too. "I really hope you guys find a girl like Kagome. She's just so... freakin' amazing."

"When are you gonna ask her to marry you again?" Ginta asked, tipping back his champagne glass.

"What's the rush?" Kouga eyed him, feeling suddenly suspicious.

Ginta shrugged nonchalantly, but Hakkaku said, "Cuz if you don't want her, Ginta or I'll be more than happy to--"

_"Like fuck you will,"_ hissed the blue-eyed man viciously.

At that point, the Hamashira girls returned, causing the three men to emit a round of muffled curses.

ooo

It wasn't until the sun began to go down and the party begin to disperse that Kouga noticed that Kagome still hadn't reappeared from the house; if she'd gone in at all. He was heading toward the house with the brothers right on his heels when Lady Hamashira called to him.

"Kouga! Honey, have you seen that lovely young lady of yours?" she asked, taking his arm. "I haven't seen her in a few hours."

The second those words fell from her mouth, Kouga felt his head grow heavy; his vision became tunneled. Through muted ears that felt as though they had been jammed with cotton, he could just hear her ask him if he was okay.

_Kagome was gone? Where did she go? When had she left? Was she okay? Oh god, why hadn't he remained by her side? And why in the hell had he let one old woman tell him what to do? _

Wrenching his arm away from her, he would have run off if Ginta had not grabbed his arm. "What?!" he yelled, desperately trying to keep from roaring in frustration.

Ginta sighed and dipped his hand down his front trouser pocket. He pulled out his phone and flipped it open. "Don't lose your head, baka," he said, quickly dialing a number.

"Who are you calling?" Kouga asked feeling his eyes grow hot, but like hell he was going to start bawling in front of Lady Hamashira.

His friend smiled back at him. "Hey, Miroku. Yeah, you too. Listen, I need to ask you something."

On his end, Miroku agreed. "Sure, Ginta, what's up?"

"The four of us went to a party this afternoon, but unfortunately, none of us kept an eye on Kagome-neesan. Do you know where she might be?"

Miroku took a deep breath. "Oh, so _that's_ why she was upset earlier. Okay, give me a moment, please."

While Ginta waited, Kouga grabbed his arm. "Well? Where is she? Is she okay?"

Shaking his head, Ginta shrugged and put a finger to his lips when Miroku finally spoke. The monk's voice sounded slow and hazy, as though he were in a trance.

"I see trees, a path, and... a valley beyond the trees. It's the place where she's run to before. Right now, she's at peace... meditating. She's... inviting me to join her," said the monk drowsily.

"Okay, go ahead. Thanks Miroku." Ginta shut his phone and smiled. "Kagome's back at the house. She's meditating at your little look-out point," he said as he turned to bow to Mrs. Hamashira. "It was a nice party, ma'am. Thank you for inviting us." He waited as Kouga managed to offer his thanks before he and Hakkaku hauled him away.

Once they got home, Kouga ran to see if Kagome was really where Miroku said she would be. Sure enough, he found her sitting cross-legged on the ground, her back to him. He wanted to run to her and hold her in his arms, but he didn't dare. Ginta had told him that Miroku said she had been upset earlier and Kouga knew then that leaving her alone with those gossiping old women had been a mistake. He wondered just what old Lady Hamashira had told her.

After watching her for several long moments with a yearning in his heart for her like he'd never felt before, he turned and walked away. He'd just have to wait until she was finished to talk to Kagome and see just what she'd found out from the Hamashira creature.

He went inside and lay down on the longest sofa in his living room and gazed up at the ceiling. His boys said they would leave him and Kagome in peace, so they took off back to the city to see how Inuyasha and their club was doing. Now that the house was empty and dark, Kouga waited for her to return.

ooo

A loud clap of thunder woke him suddenly and he shot up off the couch, his heart racing. He grabbed his cellphone which lay on the coffee table and flipped it open. It told him it was 12:17 am.

Cursing at himself, he got up and went to the back door. It was locked. That must mean she's in the house, then.

Dashing upstairs, he immediately went to his bedroom to see if she was there. He made his way to the bedside table and turned on the lamp. His bed was empty, but he started when he found the kimono carefully laid out on the comforter.

It hurt him to see the garment returned to him, for he wanted nothing more than for her to have kept it, too, like the ring...

_The ring!_

Hope soared in him when he didn't see the ring anywhere, but he soon found the box that it had rested in for so many years. He opened it...

The ring was nestled against the faded velvet, just as it had for nearly three decades.

His hands shook as they lay the open box down on the little table. So this was her answer then? No... no, no, he wouldn't accept this answer from her. There was only one woman for him, only one woman who'd brightened his world. There was only woman who had forgiven him of everything bad that he had ever done when he couldn't even forgive himself.

He tensed when he heard a sound coming from down the hallway and he turned off the table lamp quickly. The room was plunged into almost complete darkness and Kouga, the former assassin, melted effortlessly into the shadows.

ooo

Down the hall, Kagome had finished packing her suitcase. After several intense hours of meditating and coming to grips with the fact Kouga deserved someone better than her, she was prepared to leave. Miroku, however, was not of the opinion that she should leave him.

_'Kagome, that man adores you. You should know that by now,'_ he'd told her earlier. _'Stay with him.'_

But she was adamant that she was not needed and pointed out that she'd hurt him so many times already. _'I married another man, Miroku. I don't think I could have hurt him any further than that. It wasn't right of me to string him along--'_

_'But you didn't string him along, Kagome. He stays by your side because he loves you and he wants to be with you.'_

_'It's still not right what I did to him. If I had truly loved him, then I never would have--'_

_'You married Yuki to save him from his ugly past as it caught up with him. Personally, I think that you could have just warned him, but--"_

_'No. It needed to happen that way. It has caused him unhappiness, because he has caused so much unhappiness in the past. I guess you could say that I was the instrument through which his karma has come to pass.' _

Miroku was amused. _'So basically, you were his downfall. That's great, darling. Since you put it that way, I like it better knowing that you were the one karma chose to dole out his punishment.'_

But Kagome wasn't amused; far from it. And as she silently let herself out of her room and headed down the hall as noiselessly as possible, she prayed that Kouga would forgive her for her callousness towards him.

She managed to descend the stairs without much noise and made her way to the front door, where she felt around for the deadbolts and slid them back. As she carefully opened the door, the foyer light came on, momentarily blinding her.

She felt a presence behind her and suddenly the door she'd just opened, was slammed shut.

"Where did you think you were going?"

Kagome jumped and swung around, her eyes blinking rapidly in the bright lights overhead. Kouga stood before her, naked to the waist, his bulging arms crossed over his muscular chest. The look on his face was less than pleased.

She shook her head weakly as he continued to stare hard down at her and she put a hand over her heart, as though that would stop her heart from beating so hard from fright. She hadn't even heard him come up behind her.

"That's what I thought," he growled. His hands reached out to grab her by the waist and hefted her up, tossing her onto his shoulder like she was a sack of flour. As he carried her upstairs, Kagome tried to squirm out of his grip, but his hold on her was just too powerful to break.

When he set her down on his bed, she tried to get up and run away, but he held her down. "You're not leaving, Kagome. Got it? But if you really want to go," he said, dropping to one knee in front of her and reaching under his pant leg to extract a large knife. He lay it across her lap and said, "You'll have to kill me first."

Kagome stared down at her lap in horror. The knife looked incredibly dangerous and she felt faint at the thought of stabbing anyone with it. She shook her head vehemently, her eyes going back up to his hard, emotionless face.

"All you have to do is stab me right here," he told her, taking her hand and placing it over his heart.

Tears streaked down her cheeks as she tried pulling her hand away from him, but he had picked up the knife and pressed it into her hand. "Here. I want you to do it."

A look of terror crossed her face. Her mouth opened and she silently screamed, _'NO!'_ at him, thrusting the knife back into his hands. But he only shook his head and patiently returned the knife to her.

"If you want to leave me, then you'll have to kill me, because there's no way that I'd let you walk out of my life as long there's breath left in my body." He watched as she covered her face with her hands and wept. "Don't cry, sweetheart," he said taking her by the shoulders. "You could never hurt me, you know. I was just trying to make a point."

Lifting her head, Kagome glared at him and slapped him across the face, the sound resounding around the room. The second she did so, she quickly pulled her hand back and clapped her hands over her mouth as she stared at him with horror in her eyes.

Kouga looked away for a moment, then took hold of the hand that struck him and gently kissed the palm, before leaning his face into her hand. "I deserved that, and more," he said quietly, his gaze shifting so that he stared deeply into her eyes. "Miroku said that you were upset earlier. I'm so sorry that you took it the wrong way. I mean, I know that you don't want to think about doing it again so soon and at the very least, I should have been the one to have told you myself."

Kagome looked confused. _'What?'_ she mouthed at him and shaking her head.

He frowned. "Didn't Mrs. H tell you? About the--" He stopped when he saw that Kagome still looked clueless. "Oh, I see. Well, what were you so upset about, darling?" He threaded his fingers through her hair lovingly.

She made a writing motion and Kouga retrieved her pen and notepad. She wrote quickly and then handed the paper to Kouga, who read it, eyebrows raised.

"Sweetheart," he breathed happily, blue eyes darting back to her face, "you thought I was flirting with those girls?" Love glowed in his face and he smiled brilliantly at her. "Kagome, you silly thing! You have _nothing_ and _no one_ to be jealous of. Okay? I love you and only you." He took her writing things and set them on the nightstand. "Do you remember seeing Mrs. H whispering to me?"

Kagome nodded and he went on, taking her hands in his, "She'd asked me to keep an eye on the guys. She knows their reputations and doesn't trust them one inch; thinks they're out to de-virginize every young woman they see. Those three girls were her granddaughters, by the way. She also told me that if they succeeded in touching her girls, she'd take you away from me and marry you off to her grandson, who was also there at the party." Kouga scowled and tightened his grip on her. "Mrs. H would've done it, too, so I _had_ to go and play chaperone. So you see, I had to do what she said or I'd lose you. I couldn't bear it if that happened."

His eyes searched her face and he reached up to caress her cheek. "I want to tell you what I thought she'd told you, Kagome. You see, there were very simple reasons why I had you dress in this kimono and why I wanted you to wear the ring."

Reaching over, Kouga gently touched the kimono that lay near Kagome's thigh. "This kimono is very special to me, Kagome. It was my mother's favorite kimono. Mrs. H told me a long time ago that my father had had it made especially for her. It matched her eyes, you know." He smiled sadly at the fabric. "But the reason I wanted you to wear it was because it was a kimono that signifies a woman's marital status."

He turned his gaze to her. "You already know how jealous I get. I'm also incredibly insecure when it comes to you. It scares me to think that I could lose you, and that just eats me up inside. I wanted you to wear a married woman's kimono to keep other men away from you. If they thought you were already married, I wouldn't have to worry about you getting charmed away from me by some sneaky male."

Bowing her head, Kagome blushed prettily underneath his steady gaze. Kouga couldn't help but smile at her shyness. "Do you still want to leave, Kagome?" he asked her gently, tilting her chin up so she had to look at him.

Slowly, Kagome shook her head and pushed the knife on her lap towards him. He chuckled and picked up the knife. He was about to slip it back under his pant leg, but Kagome stopped him. Taking it from him, she got up and placed in the top drawer of the nightstand. As she straightened, her right hand picked up the little box that held the ruby ring inside and turning, handed it to Kouga.

Taking it from her, he waited until she had returned to her spot on the bed before speaking.

"This ring is a few centuries old," he began, his eyes roaming all over it. "Once, a middle-aged samurai fell in love with a young hime and after her parents gave their consent for him to marry their daughter, the samurai sought out a craftsman who specialized in metal work, to create a special ring for his betrothed. The young man agreed to the task, but asked to see the girl with his own eyes so he could get an idea of what kind of ring to make for her. The samurai took the craftsman to the hime's home and the moment the young man saw her, he fell instantly in love with her.

"When he returned to his house, the craftsman began to create this ring, for he had known instantly what the design would be and in his mind, he knew exactly what he wanted to do with the ring. And when it was finally complete, he took the ring to the hime himself and slipped it on her finger.

"The young lady took one look at it and knew just what message it carried. As it turned out, the very day he had come to her house to look at her, she had also seen him watching her. She had fallen in love with him and had begged her parents to tell the samurai that she did not want to be his wife, that she loved someone else. They had told her not to be foolish and she was so heartbroken, that she decided to commit suicide. However, the day the young craftsman had appeared and presented her with the ring was the day she had planned to end her life. But when she saw the look in his eyes as he put the ring on her finger, she knew that he was the man she would spend the rest of her life with. And she did, for they ran away that very night and lived out their lives together."

Smiling, Kouga held the ring up so Kagome could get a better look of it. "The ruby represented the young man's heart, "he said. His fingertip moving gently over the gem, then down to the silver metal that surrounded it. "And this is a pair of hands. More specifically, _her_ hands."

Kouga lifted Kagome's left hand and slid it onto her ring finger. "His message to her was simple: 'My heart is in your hands'." He leaned forward to kiss her. "That was why I wanted you to keep it. That's why I wanted all those silly old hens at the party to see you wearing it _and_ my mother's kimono. They all knew what significance this piece of jewelry held and the status that wearing such a kimono meant." He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her again, this time, deeply. "I wanted them all to know that I'd found the woman that I wanted to be my wife. That is, if she'll have me."

Through her tears, Kagome flung her arms around his neck and rained kisses all over his face before taking his lips with such force that it nearly knocked him over. He only laughed and launched his body upwards so that he toppled her backwards on the bed.

Covering her body with his own, Kouga grinned like an idiot above her. "Girl, I swear you know how to make a man sweat. I'm sorry I had to resort to caveman tactics back there, but damn it, I wasn't about to let you leave."

Also unable to keep from smiling like a love-stricken fool, Kagome slid her hands into his hair and pulled his head down to hers. 'Have I told you,' she mouthed up at him, 'that I loved you today?'

"No," he said, his expression growing soft.

'I love you.'

Kouga spent the rest of the night showing his beloved just how much he loved her, too.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A few days later at the Morikawa mansion, where a party was being held in honor of Matsuno Kouga and his wife, Kagome. Kouga had taken Kagome to her grandfather's shrine that earlier that day, where he married her before Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, Souta, the Kawase brothers, Miroku, Sango, Hiro and his girlfriend Connie, and Akira.

Sesshoumaru, although hurt knowing she was out of his reach for good, was happy for Kagome. Inuyasha, too, had taken it kind of hard, but as he embraced her tightly, declared that he would survive and that he was glad she'd married a good man who loved her.

Souta was ecstatic, for he'd always like Kouga. Kouga had always been like a big brother to him, even giving him tips on how to pick up girls... but then, so had Ginta and Hakkaku. When Sesshoumaru found out, he threatened Souta that under _no_ circumstance should he listen to either Kawase brothers, for they were bad influences. That comment delighted Hakkaku and when they met for the dinner party, he even thanked Sesshoumaru for the compliment, leaving the businessman shaking his head in confusion.

Hiro and Akira brought greetings and well-wishes from Ryu and Rini, as well as Yuki, who had been taken to Atami by his parents in order to soak in the onsens there.

After the party ended, Kagome was informed by Sango that she had finally set a date for her marriage to Miroku, to which Kagome vowed to attend. Sango laughed and said she'd better, for she was going to be the maid of honor. Kagome replied via her notepad that she'd willingly do it, as long as she wasn't required to make a speech. 'Because then I would need one giant notepad, and I doubt one that big could be found.'

She hugged Sango and the rest of her family and friends and then left with her husband to her house, which was now theirs. He'd already moved his things from the house he'd shared with Ginta and Hakkaku, but he hadn't unpacked anything yet and nothing would be unpacked. At least, not this evening. He had other, more _important_ things to do, he told his wife, pulling her by the hand up to their bedroom.

A couple of hours later, while Kagome was in throes of ecstasy beneath her husband, a loud "Oh, Kouga!" burst from her throat.

Kouga, in mid-thrust, was so startled that he jerked backwards so hard and wrenched a muscle in his back, causing him to yell, then fall off of his wife and then off the edge of the bed. Kagome immediately got up and switched on the lamp by her bed, crying out in horror.

"Kouga! Oh no, are you okay?!" She dropped to her knees beside him. "What do I do?"

The naked man on the floor groaned softly. "Call Akira," he said, gritting his teeth against the pain.

She did so, also managing to startle the doctor when she spoke to him. After she hung up the phone, she informed him that Akira was on his way.

Kouga's hand went in search of hers. "You spoke," he murmured softly against the carpet.

She laughed softly. "I did, didn't I?" she said wondrously.

"Yeah." He was silent for a minute then said, "I don't want to know how or why, I just know that I'm thankful that it's back. Kagome? Tell me."

Kagome smiled tenderly down at him. She bent down and whispered in his ear, "I love you, Kouga."

Kouga nearly cried at that. "I've been waiting for you to tell me that and to hear you say my name. Say it again."

She did. Over and over.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Epilogue

_Four years later..._

"Sesshy! Sesshy!" cried a black-haired little girl, running to greet her uncle.

Sesshoumaru, who'd been waiting impatiently at the front door, rushed to her and scooped the tiny girl in his arms, tossing her high in the air. She squealed with laughter and when she came back down, she grabbed him around the neck, pressing a kiss on his cheek. "I missed you, Uncle Sesshy," she told him, laying her head on his shoulder.

"I missed you too, Rin," he replied, giving her little body a gentle squeeze. "Where's your mommy at?"

Rin pointed and Sesshoumaru's eyes followed the direction her tiny finger was pointing. He soon caught sight of his beloved, who was being helped out of the car by her attentive husband.

Quickly recovering from the slight stab of pain to his heart, Sesshoumaru managed a smile. "My, your mommy's tummy has gotten pretty big, huh?"

The little girl nodded solemnly. "My baby brother's in there. Daddy said so."

So, Kagome was going to give Kouga a son, he thought with a touch of bitterness. But that bitterness vanished as soon as Kagome looked up and waved cheerfully at him.

"I see. What else does your daddy say?"

Rin screwed up her adorable little face, her bright blue eyes turned up to contemplate the sky. "Um, that he can't wait 'til the baby comes so he can sleep naked with mommy agai--"

"Okay, that's great, baby," Sesshoumaru interjected abruptly and sighed. "I suppose you overheard him say that."

She nodded, an impish grin on her face that reminded Sesshoumaru of Kouga. "I sneak out of bed sometimes to play with our new litter of kittens and last night when I was playing with them I heard him say that to mommy. Do lots of grown-ups sleep naked, Uncle Sesshy? I don't think I could do that, though. I'd get cold."

Upon hearing those words come out of her mouth, Sesshoumaru erupted into a fit of coughing. Rin began helpfully pounding on his back just as Kagome and Kouga made it up to the front door.

"I suppose our little angel overheard me say something indiscreet again," Kouga muttered good-naturedly, holding his arms out for his daughter, who went to him happily.

The redness of Sesshoumaru's face told the whole story and Kagome sighed. "Sorry, Sesshoumaru. We'll speak in tongues next time." She winked at her stepbrother and hugged him. "Now, if you don't mind, I _really_ need to pee."

ooo

Later that day, Sesshoumaru sat on the veranda, sipping on some tea and watched Inuyasha and Souta frolicking about the smooth lawns with Rin, who was chasing and being chased by her doting uncles.

"She's a beautiful child," Jaken murmured softly at his master's side.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "That she is, Jaken. Very beautiful."

"Just like her mother."

Another nod. "Exactly like her mother."

"Do you think you'll ever get married, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Sesshoumaru's gaze shifted over to a stone bench that sat near the opening to his rose gardens. Kouga was straddled across the bench and Kagome sat in front of him, lying back against him. Kouga's head was pressed up against his wife's head and his arms were around her, gently rubbing her swollen belly and smiling tenderly.

The child was due any day now; they decided to leave their daughter in his care until after the birth of their second child. When the baby was born, Kagome would be moved to the mansion, where she could recover in peace.

His little Kagome. She was so grown up. She had given birth to a beautiful daughter and was about to give birth to a baby boy, who no doubt would be as charming as his sister. She had made Kouga the happiest man in the world... which meant that he was the unhappiest. Since Kagome's marriage, Sesshoumaru had had Jaken gather together the largest stockpile of green tea in Tokyo, for he now had to drink it every night just to be able to sleep.

"I don't believe so, Jaken," he replied at last, setting down his teacup. "I had thought once I would, but... I just can't bring myself to want to get married. Perhaps in some distant, parallel universe this story will have a happy ending where Kagome is all mine. But not in this story. In this story, she's the wife of another man and all I can hope for is her happiness."

Jaken, wiping away a solitary tear, nodded and together they watched as the sun began to set over the trees, with the happy sound of Rin's laughter filling the air.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The End.


	29. Alternate ending: Sesshoumaru

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Sesshoumaru's ending

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Kagome! What are you doing?" Yuki yelled as she raised the gun and aimed it in his direction.

But her eyes never left the shadowy figure inside the darkened apartment. Her entire body shook as he began to emerge, the long, deadly-looking knife in his hand. She knew he would try to kill Yuki out here, even though she was plain sight. Knowing what she knew about him, she knew he felt as though he had nothing to lose by killing Yuki. The hatred running off of him was overwhelming and it was beginning to suffocate her.

With her free hand, she motioned for him to move away from the door. Yuki frowned but did as she wanted. When he began limping away from his front door, he saw Kagome's body stiffen. A set look crossed her face. No matter what Yuki had done to her, he didn't deserve to die. Not now when he and his parents finally came together.

Taking a deep breath, she fired. The bullet whizzed past Yuki and he whirled around in time to see a strange man stagger out of his apartment, a hand to his shoulder. Blood was seeping into his shirt from the area under his palm.

Seeing the man's blood stain the front of his shirt, Kagome slid the floor in a dead faint.

"Kagome!" Kouga appeared out of nowhere and tackled the wounded man to the ground. His right arm cocked back and his fist plowed into the intruder's face. "You son-of-a-bitch!" he roared as his arm went back up again, but then he remembered Kagome and just barely managed to keep from pounding the man's face into a bloody mess. He whipped around to see Kagome, who was still lying in a crumpled heap on the floor. "Baby!" he cried and rushed to her, holding her to him and rocking her. "Sweetheart? Please wake up."

Yuki watched with a heavy heart as Kouga picked her up carefully and took her away. Would he ever see Kagome again?

The heaviness in his chest felt like lead now as Yuki went into his apartment, leaving the beaten and bloody man outside in the hallway and in the hands of Naraku, who'd shown up at that moment. Going outside for a smoke, Yuki paced the length of his balcony. There was no way he was going to let that fool Kouga take his woman away. He couldn't allow that to happen, there was just no way. Not after all he'd been through.

Kagome was _his._... and he would do whatever it took to get her back.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

When Kagome came to herself, she was in the passenger seat next to Kouga. He glanced over at her when she stirred.

"Oh, you're awake. Hi, baby," he told her with a smile. Taking her hand in his free one, he interlaced his fingers with hers. "I thought I would make you happy and take you for a visit to see Sesshoumaru. Would you like that?"

She nodded and he pulled her hand up to his lips, but her thoughts were far from the man at her side. Relief flooded her for a moment. She had saved Yuki from death yet again. Thank heaven she'd made it in time!

That man...

He was the distraught father of the woman mentioned in her dream. Early that morning while Kouga and the other men were asleep, Kagome had crept downstairs and logged onto Kouga's computer, where looked up the name Tsubaki. Sure enough, a young woman by that name had committed suicide a few weeks before she had married Yuki, at the same time their engagement was made public. The young woman had left a note to her father, telling him that she had no any desire to live, seeing the love of her life marry another woman.

According the article, the ill-fated Haruko Tsubaki had met playboy Yamadera Yuki several years ago and after spending only two days with him, fell blindly in love with him. Her affections had not been returned, however, and she discovered that she was merely one in a long line of women he had used and thrown away when he rather unceremoniously told her to "get the hell out of his sight".

Tsubaki's grieving father had said that his little girl's soul seemed to "just wither away and die right before his eyes". She had even been persuaded to see a therapist and put on anti-depressants, but that did not appear to help much.

She had even given into harassing him, then stalking him, but she remained ignored. Then one day, she read of his engagement to Higurashi Kagome, one of the heirs to the Morikawa fortune. On that day, her father said that what little life she had left, vanished. She had had lunch with him at his home that afternoon, then she went home and he never heard from her again. It wasn't until after he had been informed of her death that he remembered she had been reading the newspaper in his living room while waiting for their food to be ready, and from there, he put two and two together. Later on, when he went through her personal items, he discovered her journals, which told the whole lurid tale from the very beginning when she first laid eyes on that "golden-haired Adonis who captured her heart at one glance".

Kagome sighed inwardly and shook her head, wondering if Tsubaki's father would receive help. Haruko Hideaki was a prominent banker and highly respected, but losing his only child the way he did, it was not surprising that it caused him to lose his sanity.

She sincerely hoped that he received the treatment he so desperately needed.

ooo

Her brothers all rejoiced at the sight of her; Inuyasha and Souta even made a sandwich out of her with Sesshoumaru and Kouga looking on.

When they were finished squishing her, Sesshoumaru called out, "Kagome, come into my office for a minute, please." She followed him obediantly, leaving Kouga and Inuyasha to glare hatefully at each other.

Kagome embraced Sesshoumaru once he closed the door. Sesshoumaru held her tightly, whispering to her how much he loved her and missed her, and how he wished that such a terrible thing had never happened to her. He regretted not saving her from that monster, he told her sadly. Perhaps if he'd followed his intuition and refused to allow her to marry such an unsavory character...

But Kagome shook her head and standing on tiptoe, kissed his cheek. Pulling her notepad from her back pocket, Kagome quickly scribbled down, 'Everything happens for a reason, Sess. I don't regret going through all that to save him.'

Amazed, Sesshoumaru shook his head. "But Kagome! He hurt you! I_ want _him to pay for what he's done to you!"

Again she shook her head and wrote in her notepad. 'I don't want to press charges against him. Please.' She paused, then wrote, 'I forgave him already. It's over now.'

"I don't like it, beloved. He's getting off too easily for committing a crime against you. He needs to be taught a lesson."

She hung her head and wiped her eyes. 'I already did that,' she wrote with a shaky hand. 'I've already written him a letter, telling him I would always be his friend. I just need the courage to send it to him.' Her hand shook too hard to write anything else and she lay her writing things down on Sesshoumaru's desk.

Sesshoumaru held her as she cried, but inside he was overjoyed. She'd told him she'd always be his friend, huh? That was just a nice way of saying she didn't want to be with him. "Thank god," Sesshoumaru murmured into her hair. "Thank god for that." He waited a moment then asked if she would stay with him for a few days. "I've missed you so much, my darling. I didn't like not knowing where you were, although I must say that it relieved my mind knowing you were with Kouga. I know that you were completely safe in his care."

Nodding, Kagome smiled up at her guardian and once more taking up her pen and paper, she wrote, 'Sess, there's something I want to ask you.'

"Okay, little one. I'll grant you anything," he replied indulgently.

Once again, Kagome took up her little writing pad. 'I want to remain here and be with my family for awhile. I missed all of you so much. May I stay for a few days?' she wrote and handed him the paper. Sesshoumaru could not help but feel incredibly smug, yet ecstatic that she had chosen to stay with him.

"You know," he said, brushing her hair back over her shoulder, "you don't need to ask something like that of me. You should already know that we would love it if you stayed with us. This is your home, too."

Turning her head up to his, she gave him a sweet, misty-eyed smile. She leaned over to give him a hug, squeezing his waist gently. He returned the embrace, kissing the top of her head and smiling to himself. Perhaps now he would get his chance to get her to see things his way, to finally realize just how much he loved her and wanted to be with her.

ooooo

Kouga stayed for lunch and towards the end of the meal, Sesshoumaru told his guest that Kagome would not returning home with him. It was all he could do not to appear smug.

"It is her wish to remain here with her family," Sesshoumaru said quite casually, setting down his cup of tea. "Sorry, Matsuno. I know you had your heart set on her returning with you."

Kouga reached over and took one of her hands in his. "If that's what you really want to do, baby, then I'll respect your wishes. Just allow me to stay near you, Kagome. I don't want to be cut out of your life."

She shook her head and cupped his face in her hands for a moment. Then taking the notepad in hand, she wrote down, 'I want you to be in my life. But right now, I want to spend time with my family.'

He read what Kagome had to say and nodded eagerly. "Yes, and I _want_ you to spend time with your family. Oh, wait!" His eyes opened very wide. "You left some stuff at my house. Do you want to come with me to get it or--" He looked askance at Sesshoumaru. "That is, unless Sesshoumaru would rather you stay here and I'll just go back by myself..."

Sesshoumaru cursed himself. He'd forgotten her belongings were still at Matsuno's house. "If she wishes to retrieve her things herself, then she may do as she wishes. I have no objections."

However, the second those words crossed his lips, he instantly regretted saying them. He _did_ have objections and now he hated himself for saying otherwise. Once Kouga got Kagome alone with him, he would try to seduce her, he just _knew_ it! Now that Yuki was no longer a threat, the competition for her would be just between the two of them. He could not allow Kouga the chance to take her from him. But since his darling wished it, then who was he to deny her what she wanted?

Even so, Sesshoumaru could not help but feel rage against the man who had treated Kagome with the utmost kindness. For a long moment, he could only watch as Kouga continued to hold her hand as he smiled lovingly into her face... and all the while, a dark, ugly rage swept through Sesshoumaru. The flames licked at his soul as he saw her return Kouga's smile and seeing that made Sesshoumaru want nothing more than to be rid of Kouga once and for all.

Kagome was _his_, damn it! She had always been his. From the first moment he had laid eyes on her as she ran about her family's shrine as a little girl, he knew that there was something about her that brought out an unusually strong feeling of possessiveness in him. The desire to cuddle her to him, to keep her safe from the entire world had been enough to keep him up nights when he was a young man. It disturbed him to such an extent that for a time he'd wondered if he was crazy. For a pre-teen boy to feel so strongly about a young girl several years his junior, even though the feelings were purely innocent... he often wondered if that had would be considered normal. For him, however, it was.

He'd watched her grow out of her adorable, childish ways and into a lovely woman. It wasn't until after their parents married that his feelings for her had underwent a drastic change. His interest in her had bloomed seemingly overnight and it had taken a long time for him to adjust to the new emotions he'd felt for her. He had waited a long time, _a very long time_, for this woman and he would not be denied what was rightfully his.

As usual, Souta was quick to notice the change in tension in the atmosphere. Sesshoumaru was radiating jealousy-fueled anger in waves so strong that even the normally dimwitted Inuyasha realized that something was amiss. For once, Inuyasha's eyes were not gazing with utter adoration at his step-sister. Instead, his gaze jumped from Sesshoumaru, to Kagome, to Kouga, then back to Sesshoumaru, apprehensive curiosity written all over his face.

"Hey, Kagome? Why don't you stay here tonight? You know, so we can catch up. I've missed you a lot," Souta piped up, a hopeful look on his face. "Then tomorrow, you can go get your stuff."

To everyone's surprise, and especially Sesshoumaru's, Kouga remarked with a nod, "Yes, we can go tomorrow. I've got to go get my bike from Yuki's place anyway. This has been a crazy day and I'd like to rest for a bit." He cast a glance over at Sesshoumaru, who nodded.

"Of course. Inuyasha will help you retrieve your motorcycle."

A spoonful of ice cream was half way the younger Morikawa's mouth when Sesshoumaru volunteered his services to Kouga. He frowned at his big brother. "I will?"

"You will."

Seeing Sesshoumaru's eyes narrow into the look of death, Inuyasha sighed with resignation. "Fine. I guess I'm helping you, Kouga. But this better not take too long. I've got things to do, you know," he said, shoveling the ice cream into his mouth.

oooooooooooooooooooooo

The next day, Sesshoumaru watched bitterly as Kouga and his buddies picked Kagome up and drove away with her. She had decided to return with Kouga to get her things, much to Sesshoumaru's disappointment. He did not want her to leave.

He went to work feeling as if his world was beginning to slip away from him. When he returned home after a very long, tiring day, Sesshoumaru changed and went downstairs to his study, where he locked himself away and poured himself a double shot of whiskey. He went online and surfed a bit, but after awhile, he sighed heavily and opened the top right drawer of his desk, withdrawing a folded piece of paper. Unfolding it, he laid it down in front him and stared at it for a long moment, before returning it to its resting place in the drawer and leaned back in his chair.

His gaze fell onto his drink, one long finger running down the side of the sweating glass, pushing the condensation downwards.

This precious piece of paper... would he ever have need of it? In the back of his alcohol-fuzzed brain, he hoped to the gods he would, for it represented something that he wanted more than anything else in this world.

Unbidden, he recalled the day before, when Kouga and Kagome were staring adoringly into each other's eyes. He'd felt great anger, yes, but also a small part of him had begun to lose hope.

_Would Kagome return to him? Would she come back home, her heart still free and her body still untouched? _

Squeezing his eyes shut against the tears that threatened to fall, Sesshoumaru down the rest of his drink and slumped over onto his desk, laying his head on his arms.

He couldn't lose her. _He just couldn't._

ooo

Later that night, after he rinsed his mouth once he had brushed his teeth, Sesshoumaru felt slightly nauseous and a bit of pain in his chest caused him to wince. All day long he hadn't felt like his usual healthy self and he prayed that he wasn't getting sick. He couldn't get sick now and be left at the mercy of his illness while Kagome was in Kouga's clutches. That would just kill him.

He was still bent over the sink waiting for the queasiness to pass when Jaken came in.

"Sesshoumaru-sama? Are you ill?" He hurried to Sesshoumaru's side, worry on his face.

Forcing his nausea back, Sesshoumaru shook his head. "I'm fine, Jaken. It's nothing; I only feel a bit unwell. It was probably something I ate for lunch. I went to a restaurant I've never been to before. One of my associates likes to frequent these hole-in-the-wall kinds of places," he chuckled softly, but he ended up coughing until he was red in the face. When he had recovered himself, he smiled ruefully at the little butler. "I think I might have picked up some kind of bug from there. Just wait. I'll be covered with purple and orange spots by the time the sun comes up." He grinned sunnily at Jaken.

Frowning, Jaken tut-tutted at his employer. "That is not amusing, Sesshoumaru-sama. Please don't joke about things like that. Shall I make you an appointment to see your doctor in the morning?"

"No, that won't be necessary. It's probably nothing more than a stomach virus. It will pass soon enough."

"You are working too hard, Sesshoumaru-sama. I know my opinion means little when you are determined to do something, but _please_, at least for Miss Kagome's sake, go to the doctor. She would be upset if you fell ill."

"I know." Bowing his head, he shut his eyes. "I can't worry my girl like that. Jaken," he muttered, turning to his butler, "don't call the doctor until I can't work anymore. If I can still work, I'm not _that_ sick."

"But Sesshoumaru-sama...!"

Sesshoumaru cut him off with a wave of his hand. "I refuse to be put into the hospital, Jaken. You know how I feel about such places." He switched off the light and exited the bathroom as Jaken scuttled out right behind him.

"Yes sir, but--"

"No buts! Do as I say, Jaken, and don't give me any lip about it. I'm just feeling a bit unwell right now. No harm done. I'll be fine in a couple of days."

Jaken sighed and shrugged helplessly. "Whatever you say, Sesshoumaru-sama. Well, let's put you to bed." He moved forward to take Sesshoumaru's arm, but Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Sir? What's wrong?"

"I'm not sleepy, Jaken. I think I'll sit up for awhile, alright?"

With an irritated squawk, the butler straightened his little frame to its fullest height. "I'm afraid that I don't agree with that, sir. You _need_ your sleep, especially since you're ill!"

Sesshoumaru cast the little man a dark look. "I didn't say I was sick, Jaken. I said I felt a little unwell. That doesn't necessarily mean the same thing, you know."

"Well, to me it does!" He grabbed his boss by the arms and dragged him to his bed where he gave him a shove backwards onto the mattress. "You _will_ lie down and sleep if I have to call Dr. Yamadera to come by and give you a shot in your backside, young man!" he told his master sternly.

Staring up at Jaken, Sesshoumaru lay sprawled on his back across his bed, yellow eyes round with disbelief. His silver hair pooled behind him on the bed as he propped himself up on his elbows. "I can't believe this," he murmured, a tinge of amazement in his voice as Jaken grabbed hold of his legs and situated them beneath the covers. "I'm being manhandled by my butler. Will wonders never cease?"

"I have been watching over you since you were born, Sesshoumaru-sama," Jaken announced with an imperious sniff, viciously tucking in his master with the utmost efficiency. "I'll not have you die on me simply because you are being stubborn. Your dear father would never forgive me."

"But Jaken, I can't move my legs..."

"Good! That's just the way I want it. Now you'll _have_ to stay in bed, won't you?" When Sesshoumaru began to complain, Jaken silenced the younger man with an imposing look. "Think about it this way, my lovesick young lord. Do you _want_ Kouga to win Kagome's heart?"

"You know I don't want that," Sesshoumaru pouted childishly, turning his head away.

"Well then! That should give you an incentive to get better, right? _You need your rest._" Jaken reached over to the nightstand and picked up a teacup. "Here, drink this."

Whipping his head around, Sesshoumaru glared up at his butler/dictator. "I don't think so, pal. Last time you told me to drink something, it was drugged."

"This time I promise you that it is not."

"You know I don't believe you, Jaken."

Jaken shrugged and took a sip of the tea before handing it to Sesshoumaru, who took the cup with some hesitation. "You see? Would I have drunk it so readily if it had been drugged?"

Sesshoumaru glanced from the cup and back at Jaken, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I don't know. You're pretty damn sneaky for an old man, Jaken."

"I had to learn how to outsmart you when you were younger, Sesshoumaru-sama. You _and_ young master Inuyasha. The two of you were such troublemakers when you were children, and I remember getting the pair of you out of trouble many times. I worshipped your father, but I didn't want either of you being punished for your childish pranks. He warned me not to be such a pushover and to coddle you, but I never could resist your sweet little faces." He patted Sesshoumaru's arm. "Whatever I've done, it's only ever been for your benefit, Sesshoumaru-sama."

Watching the little man speak, Sesshoumaru felt nothing but love for him. Jaken had been the first person he'd run to when he and Inuyasha had done something foolish to anger their father. The two of them knew that Jaken would always find a way out of the bind they had gotten themselves into and while he and his brother had looked up to Jaken as some kind of benevolent god, Sesshoumaru suspected that the little butler had thoroughly enjoyed his elevated status.

"I know, Jaken, and I thank you for everything you've ever done for me and my family." He bowed his head and began drinking his tea obediantly. "I should be ashamed of myself... for not trusting in you. Forgive me."

Jaken waved his hand airily. "Think nothing of it, sir. All I ask is that you try to get to some sleep." He sat down beside his master and brushed the hair back from his face. Jaken did not like the flushed look on Sesshoumaru's normally pale cheeks. Nor did he like the unusually warm feeling on that exquisite, youthful face. The boy was coming down with something, he would swear to it and whether he liked it or not, Jaken would call Dr. Yamadera in the morning to voice his concerns.

Sliding down further into his sheets to lie on his back, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and allowed Jaken to stroke his hair. It was something that he remembered his mother doing to him when he was sick as a child, and later, after his mother's death, he had asked Jaken to do it for him since his mother no longer could. "Where's Kagome?" he asked softly, enjoying the sensation of having a human hand brush against his cheeks. He just wished it was his beloved's hand on his brow and in his hair.

"She's with Matsuno-san, Sesshoumaru-sama."

"Yes, of course. How foolish of me to have forgotten."

The stroking stopped for a moment, then began again. "Miss Kagome _loves_ you, Sesshoumaru-sama." Jaken's voice was quiet and tender. "I'd be willing to bet my life that she will end up as your wife."

"I wish I could be as confident as you, Jaken." Sesshoumaru frowned, then opened his eyes, and Jaken could see the drowsiness in them. "I'm... so sleepy," he muttered, his eyes struggling to stay open.

"Don't fight it, Sesshoumaru-sama," the butler urged gently, his hand still stroking the silken, silver locks. He watched tenderly as his young master's golden eyes closed, his head shiftng to one side. Jaken smiled and got up carefully from the bed. He continued to watch Sesshoumaru sleep for a few minutes before clearing up the teacup and saucer and leaving the room in silence.

oooooooooooooooooooooo

The next day, Sesshoumaru did not feel better. In fact, he felt much worse. Not only had he come wide awake around one in the morning, but his breathing had been labored and he felt hot and cold at the same time. His chest hurt like crazy. Everything in him was screaming at him to go to the hospital, but he just could not bring himself to do that. There was just too much to do today. He couldn't take a day off for what was, in all probability, just a little cold. That would be ridiculous. He could work through a cold. He'd done it before and he could easily do it again.

oooooooo

Kagome returned to the Morikawa home in the afternoon after retrieving her belongings from Kouga's home in the country. No one was home when she arrived, which, at first, she thought was out of the ordinary. Normally, Jaken or the maids would be bustling about, doing something. But then she recalled that today was the maids' day off. It was also the day Jaken went shopping for household items. Usually, Jaken ordered things in, but like herself, at times he preferred to go out and buy them himself.

On this day, Souta would accompany him on his errands. He usually went with Jaken because he enjoyed pestering the little man about getting several different flavors of ice cream. Souta always managed to get Jaken to buy him whatever he wanted.

Shaking her head and smiling, Kagome unpacked her things. As she was putting her empty suitcase away, Kagome heard a _thump_ come from somewhere in the supposedly empty house. It wasn't a natural sounding noise in an empty house and she became concerned. Perhaps there were burglars trying to get in?

Going slowly down the main staircase, Kagome heard some movement coming from the direction of Sesshoumaru's study. She frowned. It must be a burglar, then, for Sesshoumaru was never home this time of day!

As she moved closer to the study, there was a stumbling sound, followed by a thud. It sounded like a heavy object hitting the ground, the sound muffled in the thick carpet.

Unwisely, Kagome ran the rest of the way to the study and when she burst through the door, she found Sesshoumaru sprawled, facedown, on the carpet.

With her heart already pounding, Kagome rushed over to him and quickly turned him over on his back. His face was flushed a bright red, but it was his breathing that had her terribly worried. It came in short, choppy pants; his lungs sounded as though they were filled with liquid.

Her first thought was to call for Jaken, but then she remembered he wasn't at home. She raced for the phone on Sesshoumaru's desk and as she grabbed the receiver to dial the emergency number, she remembered that she couldn't speak. The dispatcher's voice came on the line as hot tears of frustration ran down Kagome's face. How would she be able to get help?

On the other end, the dispatcher began to sound concerned when no one answered her queries. "Whoever this is, I am sending a police car to your location to find out what the trouble is. If this is a prank, I suggest you speak up now if you do not wish to find yourself in any trouble."

Of course, Kagome could not speak up and the dispatcher informed her that a police unit was being sent to her location at that very moment and hung up. At least help was coming, she thought, trying to stay positive.

At that moment, Sesshoumaru began to cough and when Kagome turned to see, she found that he had coughed up something yellow, mixed in with blood. She began to feel faint as she saw it trickling out of the side of his mouth, but she kept it together long enough to drop down beside him and turn him over onto his side so that he wouldn't choke.

But this seemed to make his breathing sound worse and she began to cry helplessly. When would help arrive? Would it be soon?

Without thinking, Kagome reached down and picked up the phone again, automatically dialing Akira's number, hoping against hope that she could make him realize who it was calling him.

It rang once, twice, three times. On the fourth ring, Akira finally picked up. There was a noise, as if he was fumbling with the phone before his voice came on the line.

"Yeah?" His voice was heavy with sleep.

Fighting back her panic, Kagome pressed one of the buttons.

That seemed to wake him up a bit. "Huh? Hello? Who is this?"

Again she pressed a button, but that only served to annoy the doctor. "Who the hell _is_ this? Yuki? If this is your sorry ass playing some stupid prank on me, goddamn it, I'll fucking kill you!"

_'Please, Akira! Help me!'_ her mind screamed, fresh tears spilling down her face. She pressed a couple more buttons, squeezing her eyes shut. _'Please help me...'_

"Who is this, damn it! Yuki, you asshole! You know I've just worked for three days straight!"

In front of her, Sesshoumaru began to cough again, and the sound his lungs made her feel weak with fright. She just _had_ to make Akira understand! She had to try!

"Ah..."

Akira's string of curses and damning Yuki to hell ceased abruptly. "Hello? Who is this, already?"

_Please work!_ "Ah... ah..."

"I'm hanging up now," Akira informed her coldly. "I'm sick of your shit, Yuki."

_No, please wait!_ "Ah... ah...A-kira..." Kagome's eyes flew open. She had spoken! Hope burst inside of her and she felt completely reassured. Everything would be okay now.

"Huh? Wait... who _is_ this?"

Again Sesshoumaru began coughing helplessly and Kagome burst out, "Akira! Help me!"

"Kagome?!" Akira's anger vanished and she could just hear him getting out of bed. "What's wrong, honey? Where are you?"

"Home... Sess-houmaru..." Her voice cracked and nothing else came out, although she tried. _Please come!_ her mind cried. _Please come!_

The sounds on the other end finally ceased and Akira back on the line. "Okay, okay, I'm coming. Do you need an ambulance?"

But she could only press the buttons frantically. Sesshoumaru was panting now, his breathing even more labored than before.

"Kagome! Here's what I want you to do. Press once for yes and twice for no. Got it?"

She pressed once.

"Good girl. Do you need an ambulance?"

One beep.

"Are you at Sesshoumaru's house?"

One beep.

"Okay. Is it for you?"

Two beeps.

The sound of keys rattling could be heard and Akira asked, "Is it for Sesshoumaru?"

One beep.

"Okay. Here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to hang up and call an ambulance for you, then I'll call you right back. Got it?"

She pressed the button once and heard him hang up. The next few minutes were torment as she waited for Akira to call back. Sesshoumaru was burning up and she knew she should get some ice for his head, but she was too scared to leave him by himself.

Just as she was beginning to think that Akira had forgotten her, the phone rang. "Sorry!" Akira apologized after she had come on the line. "I had to tell the dispatcher I didn't know what was wrong with him, that I was calling for someone else. They're on their way, honey. Is he sick?"

Kagome punched the button one time and Akira sighed. "Thought so. I've been worried about him. Jaken called me this morning and told me that Sesshoumaru hadn't been looking too well lately. Apparently, he hasn't been sleeping again, either. No wonder he's sick. Lack of sleep weakens the immune system, and it leaves the body susceptible to diseases." He paused and Kagome heard his car engine rev. "Sorry, Kagome. I'm trying to get there as quick as I can. How are you feeling? Do you feel sick, too?"

She hit the number pad twice and he sighed again. "Thank heaven. I should probably check to see if your brothers, Jaken and the maids are okay as well. It might be contagious. Oh, crap, my phone battery's on low! I didn't give it enough time to recharge. Listen, when the paramedics get there, let them know to send Sesshoumaru to my hospital. It's the closest one to your house. I'm going to head over there right now, so I'll be there when you arrive. See you in a bit, Kagome." Again he hung up, leaving Kagome alone with Sesshoumaru.

It wasn't too long before she heard the wailing sirens. Jumping up, she ran over to a piece of wall by the door where she quickly located the master control panel and typed in the code to open the gates to the driveway. Then she ran to the front door and threw it open to step outside in order to wait for the ambulance to arrive.

oooooo

"Well," said Akira to Kagome, after examining Sesshoumaru just over an hour later. "It appears to be pneumonia."

Kagome gripped onto Sesshoumaru's hand a little tighter. His breathing wasn't as labored as before, but the sound of it still frightened her, even though at the moment, he was undergoing a nebulizer treatment to help him breath easier. At least his temperature had gone down considerably, for now his skin felt cool to the touch. Not too long ago, his life hung in the balance, his lungs very nearly shutting down on him.

"He'll be alright, you know," the doctor reassured her, gripping her shoulder firmly. "He's still young and relatively healthy. With proper treatment, he'll be right as rain in no time."

Nodding, Kagome gave Akira a watery smile. _'Thank you,' _she mouthed at him.

"You're quite welcome. By the way," he said, turning her to face him. "I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. I really thought that Yuki was trying to be funny. He's done that to me before, so I thought--"

Shaking her head vehemently, Kagome waved her hand dismissively as if to say _'It's no big deal'_.

Akira smiled, his face brightening. "That's a relief. I was afraid I'd offended you. But enough of that. Kagome, you _spoke_! I was thoroughly shocked when I heard your voice again." His smile faltered and he touched her face. "But I see it's gone again. I guess it worked only when you truly needed it. Well, don't force it, okay? It'll return when it's ready."

Bowing her head, she nodded. When she turned her attention back to Sesshoumaru, she felt Akira move away from her and leave the room. Hearing the sound of the door closing behind the doctor, Kagome sank to her knees beside the bed. She had been terrified for her step-brother today. If she hadn't come home when she did, there was a good chance Sesshoumaru would have easily succumbed to a treatable illness. The thought that he could have died, left her feeling incredibly solemn.

She shook her head. 'Silly, hard-headed man,' she thought fondly, running a thumb over his knuckles. Just because he hated hospitals, he had allowed himself to get so sick that he very nearly expired.

What would happen to her if that _had_ happened? She was so used to Sesshoumaru taking care of her. Could she survive without him watching over her? But worst of all, how could she have lived with herself for taking him for granted, thinking... no, _expecting_, that he would always be there for her? For that surely was what she had done. She had begun to take him for granted without even realizing that she was doing so.

Getting to her feet and leaning over him, she kissed his forehead gently. "I... love you, Sess," she whispered. A moment later, she started, her eyes flying open. She'd spoken again! With a gentle smile, she kissed him again, feeling so grateful that he was still here. "I promise to never take you for granted again," she murmured against his smooth brow.

Sesshoumaru shifted in his sleep and when Kagome pulled away from him, his smile appeared from behind the mask of his nebulizer treatment. Even though his mouth and nose were covered, his face looked sweet and childlike. His helplessness touched her, but it also brought out the protectiveness in her. For once, she wanted to be the one to watch over him and take care of him, as he had done for her for so long.

Today, she had just had a taste of what he went through when she nearly passed away six years ago; the terror and agony he must have felt when he saw with his own eyes that the person who was so very dear to him was a mere breath away from death.

Kagome remembered with horror the moment when Sesshoumaru had stopped breathing while in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. In that moment she knew... she _knew _without a doubt... that she could not live without him.

After staring down at him for several moments, a thought struck her. Well, it was more of an idea. Should she go through with it? It would take some time to work out and she would need to get the timing just right. It was the right thing to do, she felt, and very bold; it would also be completely out of character for her. But then, she knew Sesshoumaru would never object. He loved her. She knew that with every fiber of her being. _Sesshoumaru loved her..._ and she would show him just how much _she_ loved him in return.

ooooooooo

ooooooooooooooo

"How are you feeling, aniue?" Souta asked Sesshoumaru as Inuyasha pulled up to the house and parked the car. It had been nearly a month since Sesshoumaru had been admittted to the hospital and now he was finally back home.

Sesshoumaru, still pale and weak, turned to look at Souta and gave the young man a wan smile. "I feel fine, thank you." He unbuckled himself and got slowly out of the car with Inuyasha's assistance. "I just wish Kagome had come with you. I haven't seen her in over a week." He sighed heavily. "I'll bet she's with Kouga, huh? Man, I miss her so much."

Behind his back, Inuyasha and Souta gave each other a secretive look. Kagome _had_ been with Kouga, but not in the way Sesshoumaru had thought.

The three were met at the front door by a very stately looking Jaken. "Sesshoumaru-sama, welcome home! If you would, come this way, please." He took Sesshoumaru's arm and led him up the stairs.

"I don't need to lie down," Sesshoumaru complained. "I've done plenty of that for the past few weeks."

"Oh no, sir. You won't be lying down just yet. We need to get you into a different set of clothes right now. You have an appointment."

"Huh?" Sesshoumaru threw a questioning glance back at his younger brothers, but they'd disappeared. "Jaken! What's going on?"

Jaken said nothing, but merely dragged the protesting young master to his bedroom and proceeded to undress him. When it was all said and done, Sesshoumaru was staring at himself in the mirror, thinking that it was far too early in the day to be wearing a tuxedo. While Jaken brushed his hair, Sesshoumaru watched the little man in the mirror. "What's going on, Jaken?" he ventured to ask again, his head jerking back slightly as Jaken tried brushing through a small tangle.

But the small butler only shook his head. "I can't say, Sesshoumaru-sama. Well, there you go. Shall we leave now?"

"Leave? Where are we going?"

Taking Sesshoumaru's arm once again, Jaken tugged his master along behind him. "Come along, sir. You'll find out soon enough."

By the time they reached the last step, Sesshoumaru found Inuyasha and Souta both waiting for him, each of them dressed up in their own tuxedos as well. Now he was _really_ suspicious.

"What is this? Is there a party somewhere?" he asked, but got no response.

He was led through the foyer and down a hallway that ended up in another wing of the house that housed the ballroom. This wing was perfectly silent; not a sound could be heard save the echoes of their footsteps in the hallway.

Inuyusha and Souta went to the double doors and each took a door, pushing it open. Sesshoumaru walked in and suddenly the lights were flipped on and a chorus of "Welcome home!" and loud applause rang throughout the massive room.

Sesshoumaru saw all of his closest friends and colleagues, his employees, as well as Hiro, Akira, Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku, Sango and Miroku... and Kagome. Her body was clad in that emerald green gown he'd found so appealing on her the year before. The silky fabric clung to her slim figure, moulding itself to every curve she possessed, while her shiny black hair flowed loosely down her back. It was all he could do not to drool all over himself.

His heart skipped a beat as Kagome came forward and handed him a piece of paper that read, 'Welcome home, Sess'. She then reached up on tiptoe to press a kiss on his cheek. He leaned into the kiss, closing his eyes, relief washing over him. So _this_ was why she hadn't been to visit him! He'd believed that she was spending her time with Kouga, but his sneaky little girl had only been busy putting together this party for him. But while she'd been doing that, he'd missed her so much that every single day he'd wanted to cry from sheer loneliness. Sure, his brothers and Jaken came to visit and so did some of his colleagues, but he had wanted Kagome there more than anything.

"I hope you like this little party," Kouga said, walking up to them. "Kagome worked really hard to put all this together, boss man. She did it pretty much all on her own." He winked at Kagome, who bowed her head and blushed furiously.

Taking his beloved's hand in his, Sesshoumaru gave it a squeeze. "I know I will," he said softly, sending a heated gaze her way.

ooo

Later, while Sesshoumaru was chatting amicably with a few of his managers, Souta gathered everyone's attention, saying that there was an important announcement that needed to be made. Silence fell over the crowd and Sesshoumaru turned to see what was going on. Souta pulled Kagome out from the midst of the guests and Sesshoumaru frowned. What was he doing?

When Kagome opened her mouth and began to speak, Sesshoumaru was stunned. When had she regained her voice?

"Thank you all for coming today to welcome Sesshoumaru back home. I know all of you were as worried as we, his family, were. I'm just glad and so thankful that I was here when he collapsed and was able to get the help he so desperately needed." She paused a moment, then said, "But I don't want to draw attention to that. Nothing I did was heroic or spectacular... I just wanted to keep my step-brother alive because I love him.

"When I was with him at the hospital, I realized that I had begun to take Sesshoumaru for granted. I had come to expect that he would always be there for me, to take care of me, to support me. As some of you know, there was a time when my own life was nearly ended, when I had to depend on others to take care of my most basic needs. Well, Sesshoumaru was _always_ there to care for me, but I never realized just what an impact the reality of my impending death had had on him. I now know what that was like, to see that person... to see..."

Her voice shook, but she went on steadily, her head held high. "... to see the person I loved most in this world hanging onto life by a mere thread. This time, our roles had been reversed and I was the one hoping and praying for a positive outcome. I was the one who waited with baited breath by the bedside, wanting more than anything that he would wake up and tell me..." She stopped and lowered her head to wipe the tears from her eyes. "To tell me... that he loved me. All I wanted was to hear him to tell me that one more time."

Raising her head once again, she looked directly at Sesshoumaru, her heart pounding. "I never meant to take you for granted, Sesshoumaru. I was just so caught up in everything and everyone else... except you. You... needed me and I completely ignored you. I apologize for not taking better care of you, knowing how you get when you worry about me."

Her words brought back those horrible days when she was in the hospital and reminded him of exactly how he felt when he realized that it all could have been prevented if he had only paid more attention to her. Sesshoumaru opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"No, please let me finish. If I had lost you, I don't know what I would have done. I never realized how truly lost and helpless I am without you, Sesshoumaru. You are everything to me. _Everything_."

Sesshoumaru was blown away by her words. "Kagome...?" Did he dare to hope that she would finally return his feelings?

"You have asked me several times this past year to marry you, Sess. I would like to give you an answer now, if you don't mind."

Around him, Sesshoumaru could hear the crowd buzz with excitement. "No," he said, the blood roaring in his ears. He felt his face grow warm as his heart tried to beat its way out of his chest. "No, I don't mind at all."

Tears falling down her cheeks, Kagome went up to him and took his hands in hers. "I would be... _honored_ to be your wife, Sesshoumaru."

A round of applause went up from the crowd, but Sesshoumaru did not hear it, for he had grabbed Kagome and kissed her as though his life depended on it. Not in a million years would he have expected this from his darling little girl. She was so shy in front of large groups of people and for her to gather the courage to say what she did in front of this crowd made him so very proud of her.

His thoughts did not stay on that very long, for he could think of nothing else than the words she had spoken. _She would be honored to be his wife._

ooo

Later, he managed to get her away from the now-dwindling party and got her alone in his study. Once they were behind closed doors, he sat down on one of his couches and pulled her onto his lap. After an intense make out session, he rubbed his nose against her cheek and sighed contentedly. "Oh, my little darling! I love you so much. Thank you for everything today. This has been the second best day of my life."

"Second best?" Kagome chuckled as he nibbled on her earlobe. "What was the best day of your life?"

"Mmm. It hasn't happened yet, but it will." He claimed her swollen lips in yet another scorching kiss. "The day you become my wife will be the best day of my life, hands down." His eyes burned into hers, leaving her a quivering mass in his arms. "I want to get married right now, Kagome. I don't want to wait. You've made me wait for you long enough."

"Well, you know," Kagome whispered, pressing soft kisses along her beloved's jaw, "Judge Hadori is here. Perhaps you could ask him to marry us one day soon."

Sesshoumaru's body tensed. "Yes... he _is_, isn't he?" He looked thoughtful for a moment, then a sly look crossed his face. Setting her on the sofa beside him, he got hurriedly to his feet. "I'll be right back, my love. _Don't_ move a muscle." He strode from the room in search of Jaken.

When he returned, he was not alone. Inuyasha, Souta and Jaken were with him, as well as Judge Hadori Myoga. Sesshoumaru walked over to his desk and opening the top drawer, he pulled out a piece of paper, which he handed to the judge.

Judge Hadori glanced down at the paper and nodded. "It's all in order, Sesshoumaru. Now all we need is the bride." He looked over at Kagome and winked.

"Sess? What's all this?" Kagome asked, confused when he came over to her and pulled her to her feet.

"I meant what I said about us getting married right now, Kagome." He laughed at her stunned expression and kissed the tip of her nose. "What can I say? I'm an impatient man."

"But the license! Don't we need to get a license first?"

The judge held up the paper Sesshoumaru had given him. "It's right here, young lady. Sesshoumaru's a very perceptive and optimistic young man, not to mention patient... at least when it counts. This license is dated a few days after I annulled your marriage to Mr. Yamadera." He smiled at Sesshoumaru, but that particular gentleman only had eyes for his bride-to-be.

"It was hard staying positive, Kagome, but I kept on believing that I would be the one to marry you. There were times I felt like all hope was lost, but something inside me kept telling me to believe that it would come true." He slipped arm around her and forced her to stand in front of the judge.

"Do you have the rings?" Judge Hadori asked with a smile.

Jaken came forward, his hand rummaging about in his inner breast coat pocket. "Here they are, your honor."

"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome looked up at her soon-to-be husband with confusion. "I had no idea about any of this! When did you get the rings? And I thought _I_ was the only one being secretive."

Sesshoumaru only smiled at her and requested the judge to start the ceremony.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

It was January. The sky above was a bright, brilliant blue and warm, gentle ocean breezes stirred Sesshoumaru's hair. Something moved swiftly in his peripheral vision and he looked up from his book. After marking the page, he closed his book and lay it down across his abdomen in time to see Kagome and Souta race over the white sands towards the clear blue of the Caribbean Ocean. He smiled as they dove into the water together and swam out a little ways from the beach. Following slowly behind them on the beach was the ever-watchful Kouga, who sported khaki cargo shorts, a white wifebeater, sunglasses, running shoes and a spectacular golden tan.

Sesshoumaru had been surprised when Kouga asked to accompany them on vacation as bodyguard. Well... not for _them _per se, but for _her_. He was only there for Kagome and no one else, Kouga had told Sesshoumaru, who had been amused and in a way, touched that Kouga still had eyes for no other woman except Kagome, despite the fact that she was married to another man.

When he had asked Kouga why he continued to torment himself, knowing she would never be his, Kouga answered that he had sworn to Kagome that he would always be there for her, no matter what.

"But surely you'll want to find a nice woman and get married someday, right?" Sesshoumaru had asked, now a bit concerned for the black-haired man whom he had come to trust with his life. Was Kouga perhaps a bit _too_ obsessed with Kagome? The thought uneased him slightly but he pushed it back. He did not want to think like that about the man he had come to call friend.

Kouga shook his head firmly, his blue eyes fixed intently on Sesshoumaru's face. "She owns me," he had replied quietly, emotion vibrating from every syllable. "She is my world. You may have taken her from me, Sesshoumaru, but that doesn't mean I have to stop loving her or protecting her. Besides, Yuki didn't take her marriage to you lightly. There are rumors..." He trailed off, azure gaze sliding away.

Sesshoumaru tried coaxing more information from him, but with no success. Kouga refused to say anymore on the subject and left.

Looking away from Kouga, Sesshoumaru's eyes were drawn to Kagome, who was emerging from the water. His wife looked amazing in her bikini; her body was nicely filled out and her curves were soft and rounded. Even her skin was radiant, and it was not just because she'd been out in the sun for the last few days. Just seeing at her walking back through hip-deep water, bikini clinging to her frame like a second skin, turned him on like crazy.

Since their marriage, their health had both greatly improved. He was finally sleeping peacefully every night with her beside him and she was actually eating better. He had even managed to incorporate food into their lovemaking like fruit, ice cream and chocolate sauce. That way, she'd have no choice _but_ to eat, although usually, it was he who had more. Regardless, it had worked better than he could have ever imagined. About two months after their wedding, Kagome had put on ten pounds, much to her dismay and his delight. Now that they had been married for several months, she looked healthier than ever.

But now, there was another reason why Kagome looked so healthy, so glowing with life.

The night before while he was brushing his hair in the bathroom after his shower, he heard Kagome's cell phone go off. When she answered it, he edged a bit closer to the door, so as to eavesdrop in on her conversation.

_She went out onto the balcony and to his disappointment, the sound of the ocean drowned out her words. Frowning, he continued with his task. Who in the world had the nerve to be calling his wife so late at night... while they were on vacation? If it was a man, so help him, he'd--_

_He could take no more. Putting down his brush, Sesshoumaru stalked out of the bathroom, fully intent on demanding to know who was calling her, but stopped short when he saw her slowly lower her phone and close it softly. She was staring out over the ocean, completely still. _

_"Kagome? Who was that?" _

_Startled, she turned around to look at him. The expression on her face was one of stunned joy, but it was the tears in her eyes that caused concern to fly through him. He rushed over to her, wanting to know what had happened, but she shook her head and reaching up, gently tugged his head down to hers. _

_"Darling? What's wrong? What hap--" His words were cut short when she pressed her lips to his._

_His arms went around her and he held her to him for a long moment, allowing himself to savor her sweet kiss, then swept her up into his arms and carried her to their bed. Laying her down, he got on his knees before her and asked her once more what had happened. _

_"Sesshoumaru," she began, her cheeks turning a delightful shade of pink, "you are going to be a father."_

_Nothing in the world had prepared him for that statement. Even though he'd waited and prayed for months after their marriage for Kagome to conceive, hearing that his wish to be a father was now an reality, was a shock to his system. _

_"So, that person on the phone..."_

_She nodded, brown eyes studying him. "Dr. Yamadera."_

_"I see." His gaze dropped down to her belly, which was still flat, and he reached out tentatively for it. Splaying his hand across her abdomen, he swallowed hard, a small, tremulous smile curving his lips. "Really?" he asked, voice hopeful and a little strained._

_Her hand moved to cover his. "Yes, really." She sounded amused and he looked up into her eyes. They twinkled back at him. "Last week I went to Akira because I wasn't feeling well and he had a blood test done, I suppose, because he suspected it. He said that the test was positive."_

_His eyes traveled down to her breasts and rested there for a minute. Lately, he'd noticed that they had changed; the nipples were darker and more sensitive than usual. "How far along are you?" he asked in a breathy whisper, leaning forward to kiss her neck. When she moaned softly, he gave a little growl and pushed her gently backwards onto the mattress, where he settled down beside her and continued kissing her throat._

_"Akira says... about a month and a half," she murmured when she could speak again. She slid her fingers into his hair as his lips traveled slowly up her neck to just beneath her jaw._

_Sesshoumaru smiled against her skin and inhaled deeply, savoring her scent. "I guess this is my chance to show you I can change those dirty nappies, huh?"_

_She chuckled softly. "You'd better believe it. Just because you're the all-powerful Sesshoumaru doesn't exclude you from diaper duty."_

_Raising his head, he laughed joyfully. "I'm not all-powerful, darling. I'm just a man who's desperately in love with his wife. So you can believe me when I say that I don't plan on missing out on a thing, no matter how distasteful it is." His eyes twinkled merrily down at her. "I want to be there for every milestone, even if I have to stay home from work for a year or so to do it. What do you think?" _

_"Well, you're the boss, honey. Perhaps this would be a good thing."_

_"Really?" Sesshoumaru couldn't believe that she would agree to having him underfoot at all times for the space of a year, or perhaps longer. "Why do you think so?"_

_Kagome ran a finger over his lips. "Well, doubtless this would leave Inuyasha in charge of everything. It would give him experience on running the company by himself and this would be a great chance for you to bond with your child, not to mention leaving me free to find time to be by myself and--"_

_Her husband frowned, and snagged her finger gently with his teeth for a moment. "Now wait a minute, little lady. I never said you could go gallivanting off whenever you pleased. I want to be with you and our child every minute of every day." _

_"Oh, Sess, you know I'll need to have some time to myself and besides, I'm certain you'll be tired of always being with the baby and me within a week. But with you watching the baby, Sango and I can go out for lunch and afterwards and we could go to a spa and get a massage. Of course, Miroku would have to take care of their child. Oh! You know Sango's due next month, right?"_

_"I'll give you as many massages as you want, Kagome," he informed her grimly, ignoring the subject of Sango and her impending childbirth. His brow furrowed in consternation. "I refuse to allow some big, muscle-bound freak of nature named Armando to put his hands on my wife's body."_

_"A manicure and a pedicure would be nice, too--"_

_"I can do that. Or rather... I can try to do it. Just tell me how. I'll learn to do it if it pleases you, Kagome."_

_Hiding her amusement, Kagome rolled her eyes, and continued. "Ooh! Or I can go buy a steamy romance novel, some candles, champagne, chocolates and bubble bath. Then I would come home, draw a bath and sit in the tub for hours eating chocolates, sipping champagne and reading my book. Mmm, that's sounds lovely, doesn't it?"_

_Now he knew his little minx was teasing him. "Only if I can join you, sans romance novel." Sesshoumaru looked at her with hungry, passion-filled eyes. "Sweetheart, you don't need a bloody book to show you how hot sex can be. I'm more than willing to show you even if I have to buy every book in existance on the Kama Sutra and study every position and move religiously. But if you start getting the need to read those sappy romance novels, I'll get jealous. I don't want you reading about how other men make love to their women. That would just tell me that I'm boring you or that I'm doing something wrong." _

_But Kagome shook her head firmly. "That isn't so, Sesshoumaru. I love the way you make love to me and you're definitely not boring. Every day is an adventure with you, my love." She smiled up at him. "I was actually thinking that perhaps I could learn something from those books on how better to please you. As you know, I came to you with no bedroom experience at all." _

_With a groan, Sesshoumaru kissed her hard. "And I thank kami for that! I couldn't bear it if some other man had had you first. Then I would feel the need to surpass him at everything and I'd always be wondering if you were comparing me to him," he said, thinking of Kouga and not liking it one bit. He remembered the time when he'd found Kagome pinned beneath a half-naked Kouga, the two of them making out with a desperation that shook him to the bone. He hadn't realized just __**how **__attracted she was to Kouga, until he'd seen her offering her body like that to him. Or at least, that was what it felt like. Kagome had wanted Kouga to make love to her, that much had been clear. She had clung tightly to him, not wanting to let go of him. _

_That had not been a particularily pleasant thing to witness. Seeing Kouga on top of her had made him want to rip the man apart with his bare hands. _

_"Well," she said, "you've been with other women before. Do you ever compare me to them?"_

_"Kagome," he grumbled warningly, "I have never compared you to them, and even if I were to do such a thing, undoubtedly you would come out on top, my sweet. Besides, all that happened back when I was in my last year of high school and at the university, but that was only because you were too young for me then." He lay down beside her and kissed her deeply. "As much as I regret being with those other women, I had to do something to work out my frustrations the only way I knew how. It was really difficult for me during that time because I loved you so much and yet, I couldn't bring myself to touch you for fear that you didn't want to have anything to do with me. And of course, I didn't want you to think I was some sort of pervert, either. Hey, do you remember when we would all have dinner together after our parents got married?" _

_She nodded and he gave her a rueful smile. "Don't laugh, but I don't know how many times I had to run upstairs and take a cold shower after dinner. It was torture sitting there across the table from you, watching you, thinking how beautiful you were and how badly I wanted you... and praying to kami that you'd hurry and grow up so I could be with you. It was a strange feeling, because I'd known you since you were just a little girl. As you can probably imagine, it was a bit of a shock to me when I discovered I had more than just a brotherly interest in you." _

_Her eyes widened in astonishment for a moment, then smiled up at him. "I see. So that's why you always stared at me. I'd always wondered if you thought I was some sort of freak or something, or if I'd had done something wrong. It took me a long time to get used to living in such a fancy house. I felt as though I had to be perfect, so as to not make any mistakes." She grimaced._

_He laughed at her expression. "My poor darling! I never realized that you'd felt like that. If I had, I would have done my best to make you feel more comfortable. Alas, I was completely caught up in myself and my desires." He reached up and slid his fingertip across her cheek. "I was a selfish bastard for a long time, Kagome, even after your mother died. You had to knock on death's door in order for me to see what was most important in life."_

_Kagome pressed her fingers to his lips and shook her head. "Shh. Let's not talk about that, okay? It hurts me to see you talk about it. You always look so sad and I feel to blame for making you feel that way." _

_"You weren't to blame," he told her firmly. He smiled at her and moved his hand down to her belly. "You have no idea how happy I am right now. I can't wait to be a daddy to this little one." He paused and moved on top of her. "Kagome?"_

_"Yes, Sesshoumaru?"_

_"Is it okay if we have sex? I mean, I don't want to hurt you, but right now, I'm feeling very..." He lowered his head and lightly bit her lower lip. "Very turned on." _

_With a laugh, Kagome gripped her husband's head and gave him a deep, passionate kiss. "I think I would be very disappointed if you didn't have your way with me. Yes, darling, it's safe."_

_"That's all I need to hear," Sesshoumaru said with a big grin and proceeded to undress his wife... _

"I can't believe you actually allowed Souta and me to tag along on," Inuyasha said from his reclining beach chair, snapping Sesshoumaru out of his happy reverie. His little brother lay stretched out on his abdomen, draped over the chair like a big, lazy cat. His arms hung over the edges with his hands half-buried in the soft sand. "Man, this sun feels awesome."

Turning his head, Sesshoumaru glared at his brother through his sunglasses. "Just so you know, I _didn't_ want you and Souta to tag along. It was Kagome's wish that we all take a vacation together. If it had been up to me, you both would be fending for yourselves back home... and completely at the mercy of Jaken."

"Oh." Inuyasha flipped over on his back and grinned up at the sky. "Then I'll have to thank Kagome for her kindness." He shifted his sunglasses more comfortably on his nose.

"If you plan on doing that, then you will thank her in front of me and keep your hands to yourself if you please."

"Sess, I'm wounded. What kind of person do you think I am?" Inuyasha grinned, the bright sunshine reflecting off of his white teeth.

"Do I need to answer that?"

"Keh."

"By the way," Sesshoumaru asked, reaching for the bottle of sunblock that lay beside his chair. "When do you plan on finding a woman and getting married?" He poured a healthy amount of the lotion onto his palm and began rubbing it all over his arms and chest.

"Are you trying to get rid of me, aniue?"

"Do I need to answer that?"

Inuyasha chuckled. "Well, I _do_ have a woman in mind, but I can't marry her until you divorce her."

When he finished using the sunblock, Sesshoumaru chucked the bottle at Inuyasha's bare stomach, causing a small "oof!" to erupt from his younger sibling.

Picking up the sunblock, Inuyasha set down on the sand beside his chair. "Well, it's either that, or I just wait until you die. Either way, you'll be out of the way and she'll be free."

"You're disgusting, Inuyasha. Find your own woman and leave mine in peace."

Heaving a sigh, Inuyasha sat up and threw his legs over the side of the chair so that he faced his brother. "You don't plan on getting her pregnant, do you? Because that would really suck for me. Try not to ruin my plans, okay?"

"Whatever, Inu. We want to start decorating the nursery soon."

"It certainly sounded as though you were really trying to get her knocked up last night," groaned Inuyasha, flopping back down on his chair. "I don't know about Souta, but you two kept me up for most of the night. I didn't know she could scream like that. At one point, I thought about calling the cops, 'cuz it sounded like you were murdering her. Damn it, she turns me on," he finished with a groan.

Sesshoumaru just had to laugh at his brother's expression. Inuyasha looked disgusted and yet so jealous that he wasn't able to speak for a few minutes. "Don't laugh at me, baka," the younger man snapped peevishly. "It was a horrible thing to be subjected to."

"Then you shouldn't be eavesdropping," Sesshoumaru pointed out placidly.

"It wasn't as if I could help it! Your bedroom is right next to mine! You probably assigned me that room on purpose to rub it in, you sick bastard!" Inuyasha snapped. "Why don't you keep it down next time?"

"As if. Go to a hotel if you don't like it."

"What?! And leave her at your mercy? Not a chance, pal."

The elder Morikawa only sighed and lay back against his chair. Inuyasha, he thought with a great deal of smug satisfaction, would be _really_ upset when he learned that Kagome was pregnant.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

After their little sprint over the sand and subsequent dip in the ocean, Kagome and Souta swam back to the beach and they were now sitting on the sand side by side, looking out over the brilliant, crystal clear waters of the Caribbean Ocean.

"Kagome?"

"Yes, Souta?"

"You aren't going to tell Sesshoumaru about the letters Yuki's been sending you, are you?"

Kagome shook her head and stared vacantly out over the clear blue water. "I don't want him to worry about me. He's got enough on his mind right now without me adding more problems. Besides, I made him worry enough last year. I should let him be, I think." She smiled sadly to herself.

"But Yuki... and those letters. He threatened you, Kagome." Souta hung his head, but his eyes glared down at the sand between his long, bare legs. "He's too obsessed with you. I don't like it."

Taking her brother's hand in hers, Kagome pulled him close to her so that their arms were touching. "I'll be fine, Souta, so please don't worry. He won't do anything to harm me." She lay back against him, her head resting on his chest.

Propping his head on the top of his sister's head, Souta closed his eyes. "And how do you think he'll react once he finds out that you're pregnant? He was furious enough when he learned of your marriage to Sesshoumaru. Akira told me that when he found out, he snapped and nearly attacked Hiro. He said that he recommended Yuki be put on some medications for awhile, possibly even sent for a short stay at a psychiatric hospital." He lifted his head and turned back to look at Kouga, who was standing nearby and appearing to glance casually around. He turned his back on them and they could see the outline of his gun underneath the back of his shirt, just above the waistband of his khakis. "It was serious enough to keep Kouga by your side, aneue. I've never seen him look so grim before."

Kagome nodded in agreement. Ever since Akira had told them of Yuki's mental state, Kouga morphed into a ferociously aggressive protector who made sure he had a hand in everything she did. Once, when a box of expensive chocolates arrived for her with no name from the sender, Kouga snatched it away and had it thoroughly examined. He'd even tasted a few of the chocolates first, just to be certain they contained no poison.

Sesshoumaru had been worried for Kouga at first, but relented when Kouga asked if he could be Kagome's personal bodyguard. He figured that it was Kouga's way of being near Kagome as much as he wanted, which was why he didn't question his motives.

"He's going to take you away, aneue," Souta said firmly. "I just know he's plotting something. Tell Sesshoumaru about what he's doing, please? If you don't, then I will. Or if not Sesshoumaru, then tell Kouga."

Kouga's head whipped around at the mention of his name. "Yes?" he called out, walking over towards brother and sister.

Souta and Kagome jumped and turned around. "Oh, Kouga! Sorry! We were just..." Kagome trailed off, her eyes sliding guiltily away.

"You were just...?" prompted Kouga suspiciously, one jet-black eyebrow sliding upwards over the rim of his sunglasses.

"Talking of old times," Souta added quickly, giving their watchdog an innocent smile. "You know? When Kagome had you and Sesshoumaru and Yuki all after her? That was a really crazy time. Remember when Kagome ran away and nobody knew for nearly a week? Oh man, I thought aniue was going to have a heart attack!" He burst into laughter.

After watching Souta intently with a fierce countenance, Kouga's face softened and he smiled back at the young man. "Yeah, I remember. I was gone then, but by the time Sess found out, I'd come back into town. I'd never seen him so upset before." His smile faltered and pushing his sunglasses up to the top of his head, he went over to Kagome and knelt down beside her. "Sweetheart, you look... different. Are you okay?" He wanted to take her hands in his but he could sense Sesshoumaru's eyes on him, so he didn't dare.

Kagome nodded and took a hold of his hands, smiling up at him. "I'm fine, Kouga, although I suppose I should tell you that you're about to have an increase in your workload."

"What do you mean?"

A charming flush spread over Kagome's cheeks. "I'm pregnant."

Those bright blue eyes were all at once filled with surprise, then sadness. "Oh, I see." His lips struggled to curve upwards, but they managed it somehow. "Congratulations, Kagome. I'm... happy for you."

His anguish flooded her senses and her eyes filled with tears. "Are you really?" she whispered, touching his face.

Pulling his sunglasses back down onto his nose, Kouga's face hardened, but his gaze was directed behind her to Sesshoumaru. "For you, yes. But I'm afraid I don't feel the same for _him_. Please excuse me." He got up stiffly and walked away, leaving Souta to comfort his sister.

"Don't blame him, Kagome," Souta said, holding her to him. "He's still in love with you."

"I know. I don't blame him. I just wish... that everyone had ended up as happy as Sess and me."

oooo

Later, as the sun was about to sink below the horizon, they all went to dinner at a restaurant on the beach. Inuyasha was still in a hopeful, positive mood and casting longing glances at the object of his affections; Kouga was in a dark mood, but lightened up whenever Kagome sent a gentle, comforting smile his way. Sesshoumaru was secretly gloating over his impending fatherhood, while making certain the mother of his child was eating enough. Souta sat back and watched the whole thing in silence.

Ever since the sun had begun to set earlier that afternoon, he'd had a feeling of doom that he just couldn't shake. He wondered if Kagome could feel it too, and now, taking a look at his sister, he knew instantly that she could. Her face, though smiling, held a hint of unease, as did her eyes.

Sensing her brother's gaze on her, Kagome looked across the table at him and she knew that Souta was feeling as discomfited as she did.

"Excuse me," she announced, rising, "but I need to go to the bathroom. I'll be back."

"Are you okay?" Sesshoumaru asked as he and the others rose to their feet.

"You bet, honey! I'll be right back." She bestowed a smile on everyone and left the table.

"You know what? I really need to go too," Souta said, jumping to his feet before the others could say a word. "Excuse me."

He followed behind Kagome in the direction of the bathrooms, but they did not go in. Instead, they both cast a nervous glance over their shoulders and snuck out to the outdoor dining area and from there, they headed towards beach.

"You've felt it, too, haven't you?" Kagome asked breathlessly when they were well away from the restaurant.

"Yes. I've felt it for the past few hours now." Souta grabbed hold of Kagome's arm and forced her to face him. "It's _him_, Kagome. I know it is."

Wrapping her arms around herself, Kagome shook her head. "We don't know that for certain."

"Well, I do!"

Kagome looked up, startled. Souta had never shouted at her before.

It appeared that Souta, too, was startled, for he shot her a guilty look, then covered his face with his hands. "I'm sorry, aneue! It's just that I'm scared for you. I'm scared of what he'll do to you." Dropping his hands, he turned to her. "Like I said before, if you won't tell Sesshoumaru, then at least tell Kouga. He'll take care of it."

"Who'll take care of what?"

The siblings whirled around to find Yuki, sans cane, striding confidently towards them. Souta, fearful of the look on the man's face, pulled Kagome back behind him. "Stay away from my sister," he said warningly.

Yuki sneered at Souta and shoved him out of the way. "Oh, please, as if _you_ could stop me." Turning to Kagome, he smiled gently and reached for her. "Darling," he said lovingly, as though admonishing a naughty child, "I've missed you."

But Kagome backed away from him, keeping herself out of his grasp. "Hello, Yuki. How... nice to see you again."

He caught her easily in his arms and kissed her. "Oh, my sweet little angel! I've been looking everywhere for you. You are a very slippery young woman, you know that?" He kissed her again, sweeping her up into his arms. "I hope you've noticed that I don't use my cane anymore. I've been doing alot of exercising lately to build up the strength in my leg. I did it all for you, darling, because when I'm standing at the altar, waiting for you to come down the aisle, I won't have to use a cane to hold myself upright."

Kagome's eyes darted to Souta, who looked as though he was about ready to tackle Yuki to the ground. "But... Yuki, I'm... already married." In the near dark, Yuki's face no longer looked cheerful. It looked like a terrifying mask of insanity to Kagome and she was suddenly very afraid of what he would say and do. "Please understand."

"Understand what?" The mask hardened and Yuki's arms had begun to squeeze her. "Understand that you married another man? Understand that you want to spend the rest of your life with him and not me? Understand that you're now expecting his child?"

"How did you find that out?" Souta demanded angrily, but his face was full of worry for his sister, who was trying with all her might to push herself away from Yuki.

"Quite simple, little boy. I have my ways, none of which I plan on sharing with you. So, come Kagome! We have an appointment." He began walking away from the restaurant and Souta, carrying the squirming Kagome.

When she opened her mouth to scream, he silenced her with a look. "Don't you dare. I don't want to have to render you unconscious, my love. That would kill me."

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, her body trembling with fear. She began to cry, her mind calling out to Sesshoumaru to help her.

Yuki grinned. "To get rid of this thing you are carrying. I can't have you giving birth to Morikawa's offspring, now can I?"

That was when Kagome began to scream. She kicked and flailed at him, and all the while, Yuki was laughing at her ineffectual attempts to get away. While she fought him, Kagome wondered why nobody was coming to her aid. Couldn't anybody see that she was being kidnapped?

By the time they reached Yuki's car, Yuki had ceased laughing. "Be quiet and stop struggling! No one will help you, so just accept the fact that you're coming with me." When she did not comply, he growled and setting her down on her feet, he used his body to pin her body against his car with his own. Deftly, he reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out a pair of gloves, then dipping into the pocket again, he drew out a small plastic bag containing a rag. Opening the bag, he extracted the rag and held it to her face. "Fine, be stubborn! But you can't win, my love." As her eyes began to flutter closed, the smile returned to Yuki's lips. "There we go. Just go to sleep and when you wake up, we'll be far away from here."

Her body relaxed and her head lolled against his shoulder. Kissing her head, Yuki opened the car door and lay her gently inside. With a smile, he buckled her to the seat and stepped back, shutting the door and removing his gloves.

There was a click and something hard and cold was pressed against the back of his head. With a sigh, Yuki grinned. "Hello again, Kouga. I knew you'd find me eventually, you clever old wolf." He turned around slowly and found himself on the business end of Kouga's glock. "Playing watchdog to the wife of another man, I see. Pathetic. Why satisfy yourself with merely watching her when you could so easily take her as your own?" he asked, his voice low and suggestive. He narrowed his eyes, his gaze intent on his captor's face.

Though his face remained impassive, on the inside, Kouga felt nothing but revulsion for his former employer. "Shut your mouth, Yuki," he hissed, barely able to keep a firm grip on his control of his trigger finger. He knew what Yuki would say next, for it had filled his mind the days following Kagome's announcement at the party that she would marry Sesshoumaru. How easy it would have been for him to kidnap her and run off, but effectively hiding her from Sesshoumaru's eagle eyes would have been another matter. The man had eyes everywhere and if he'd had the misfortune to get caught, their friendship would not save him from the consequences.

"Isn't it difficult to stand by watching her, and never being able to touch her, Kouga? Sort of like forbidden fruit, eh? It's the sweetest." Yuki went on in a hushed, soothing voice. He very nearly smiled. Kouga's hand had begun to shake, betraying his emotions. "Don't you want to touch her? Hmm? Kiss her? Make love to her? I know you do; I can see it in your eyes. You still want her, so why don't you give in to what you _truly_ want?"

"Because Kouga would never do anything to upset Kagome."

Yuki's body stiffened and he looked behind Kouga to find Sesshoumaru coming towards him. Morikawa looked exactly like he had the first time Yuki had laid eyes on him: tall, imposing, and confident in the knowledge that he was completely in control of the situation. Beside him stood Inuyasha, looking far less in control than his brother and ready to rumble if the need arose. "Well, well, if it isn't Sesshoumaru and his baby brother! I trust you both are well?" He gave them a mocking bow.

Sesshoumaru's face was an emotionless mask. "Did you think that I wouldn't know about those filthy letters you've been sending my wife, Yamadera? Did you think I could be kept unawares of your pitiful attempts to steal Kagome from me?" Raising his arm, he snapped his fingers. Ginta and Hakkaku appeared out of nowhere, guns aimed straight at Yuki's head. "I've known about them from the beginning. There's _nothing_ that concerns my wife that I'm not aware of."

The blond man's grin began to fade. "So... you don't allow her to have a private life, Morikawa. Isn't that a bit _too_ controlling? I thought you loved her." He took a step back and ended up against the car door. "I'm going to take her away from all that and you, so if you'll just excuse me..."

Sesshoumaru nodded at Kouga, who moved closer to Yuki, his gun still trained at the man's head. "Don't get me wrong, Yamadera. I worship my wife and she knows _absolutely_ that she is the love of my life. Kagome doesn't mind my need to be in control of everything around me because that's just who I am; that's who I was raised to be. The only reason Kagome would feel the need to hide anything from me, is because it was something that she felt would upset me." He slid his hands into his front trouser pockets. "She loves me. She loves you too, but it was me she chose. There's no need to take your bitterness and anger out on her. So if you don't mind, please move away from the car so that we can retrieve her."

"Nope, that's just not gonna happen," Yuki muttered, shaking his head. "I'm not letting her go."

A heavy sigh came from Sesshoumaru. "Guys, if you would."

Snicking sounds of the Kawase brothers' guns caught Yuki's attention and in doing so, allowed Kouga to body slam him into the side of his car before throwing him onto the ground and pinning his arms behind his back. The cold steel of handcuffs were swiftly applied to his wrists. Hakkaku grabbed his legs and held them down. Yuki yelled at the two men to get off of him, but he was completely ignored. From behind him, he could hear Ginta open the car door and ask Kagome if she could hear him.

"No! She's mine! Damn it, Ginta! Leave her alone, you asshole!" he yelled as he struggled against his captors.

"Ginta, take her to my car, please." Sesshoumaru moved forward so that Yuki got a good, close look at his expensive leather shoes. "As for you, Yamadera, I'll be sending you back to Japan, where your cousin will be waiting for you at the airport to escort you to a psychiatric hospital. Don't worry; it won't be that bad. You'll have a private room and the best care possible. I'll even foot the bill."

Yuki squirmed mightily beneath his captors. "What the hell are you saying? That I'm crazy?"

"Well, in a word, yes."

"Fuck you, Morikawa."

Kouga's hands gripped Yuki's arms tighter. "Shut up, Yuki."

When Sesshoumaru spoke again, this time his polite, casual tone was gone. Yuki was hauled up onto his knees so he could face the silver-haired man. "No, the one who'll be getting _fucked_ around here will be you if you don't do as I say," he said in the softest, most menacing voice Yuki had ever heard. He dropped down on his haunches to eye Yuki squarely and Yuki felt a tremor of fear shoot through him. Shit, it was Sesshoumaru's infamous killing stare...

_This_ was the ruthless side of Morikawa Sesshoumaru he'd heard of in his business circles; the one that made a crooked man go straight and a straight man go-- Wait, _what?_

"Are you paying attention to me, Yamadera?" snapped the steel-like voice, bringing Yuki's attention immediately back on him.

Gathering his courage, Yuki did his best to remain defiant. He wasn't gonna be _anybody's_ little wimpy ass bitch, _especially_ not Sesshoumaru's. "I don't have to do a goddamn thing, you fuckin' prick. You don't fuckin' own me."

Sesshoumaru studied him silently for a moment, straighted, grabbed his phone from his pocket, and dialed a number. After another moment, he began speaking to someone on the other line in a low voice. Then he turned around and returned to his squatting position in front of Yuki.

Pulling the phone down from his ear, he gave Yuki a frosty smile. "I don't own you, huh? Well, give me about a day and we'll see about that."

"What do mean?" This did not bode well, Yuki thought, inwardly cringing.

Fiddling with his phone, Morikawa's smile grew even more sinister. "I've just begun proceedings for a take over... of _your_ company, Yamadera. Nothing and no one will stop this, unless you agree to get help _and_ stay away from my wife and family."

"I'm not crazy!" Yuki roared, feeling his heart beat wildly in chest. Stay away from Kagome? Was he serious? There was no way he'd stay away from her... he just couldn't comply with that!

Intense golden eyes shot to his face with such a furious glare that Yuki could practically feel the heat. "Not... crazy? I've read every single letter you sent to Kagome, Yamadera. Not one of those left me with the impression that you're in your right mind."

"Shows what _you_ know, you control freak. Why don't you let Kagome be with a man who doesn't control every breath she takes? I can treat her far better than you, Morikawa. I can love her more than you can."

"Sesshoumaru!" Kouga's eyes went to Morikawa's face, worried of what the man might do.

Morikawa's face tightened. "You nearly killed her, you goddamn bastard! You don't even deserve her contempt." Composing himself, he asked, "What will it be, Yamadera? Keep all that you've worked for, get help and stay far away from my woman and brothers, or allow me to strip you of everything you own? What's it gonna be?"

Yuki, seeing a life without Kagome stretching bleakly before him, spat in Sesshoumaru's face. "Fuck you. If you _think_ you can threaten me, then you're sadly mistaken."

He said no more, however, as the butt of Kouga's gun made contact with the back of his head. Yuki slumped forward with a groan, falling on his face down on the ground.

Kouga straightened, his hands shaking. He looked up at Sesshoumaru, who was calmly wiping his face with a silk handkerchief. "Sorry, boss man."

Sesshoumaru shook his head, rising to his full height. "It's fine, Kouga. He was beginning to push my buttons, as well. I'm glad you did what I wanted to do, although I'm afraid that had it been up to me, I would have killed him outright."

"I wanted to. Damn, I wanted to," muttered Kouga dismally, eyeing the unconscious figure on the ground.

"Well, it's over now," put in Inuyasha, who came forward to help Hakkaku lift Yuki up. "We'll never have to see him again."

They tossed him in the back seat of Kouga's rental car and with Ginta driving, him, Kouga, Hakkaku and Inuyasha drove away to the airport where the Kawase brothers would escort Yuki back to Japan under lock and key.

Going to his car, Sesshoumaru got in and shut the door, but his eyes were only for his wife, who lay, still unconscious where Ginta had left her in the passenger seat.

"Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru turned to see Souta sitting in the back, legs pulled up to his chest. "Yeah, big guy?"

"Will we ever see him again?"

"No," Sesshoumaru reassured the young man. "I promise you we'll never see him again. Thank you for coming back to get us, Souta. It would have ended even worse for Yuki if we hadn't caught him when we did."

"Okay. You're welcome, Sess."

For a long time Sesshoumaru sat there, listening to his wife and brother sleeping, with Kagome's limp hand clasped in his. He had wanted to strike that fool in the face for refusing to stay away from Kagome. No, he'd wanted to fucking kill him. He wanted to take his fist and plow it into that pretty face and watch blood come spurting out of that perfect nose.

As he started his car's engine, he tried very hard to keep his temper at bay. His wife was safe and that was all that mattered.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

_Epilogue_

"Push, Kagome!"

Kagome's screams rang out and Sesshoumaru winced as her grip tightened on his hand. He didn't mind, however. His beautiful, sweat-soaked wife was giving birth to his child, the heir to the Morikawa name and fortune. Soon, very soon, he would hold his son in his arms.

Kagome screamed again, her body nearly shooting off of the bed in her agony. Sesshoumaru held her tightly, trying to keep her still. She had gone into labor a few days earlier than expected. After having a light supper with her husband and brothers, she went upstairs to her bedroom to take a shower and go to bed early, when her water broke in the hallway just outside her door. She had cried out, pitching forward on her knees to the floor.

Below, still in the dining room, Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha and Souta heard Kagome cry out and all three dashed out and up the stairs. With his heart in his throat, Sesshoumaru called for Jaken to call an ambulance, but by sheer luck, Akira arrived at that moment to do his daily check-up on Kagome. Sesshoumaru carried her into their bedroom where Akira began preparations for the impending birth.

"Hold her still, Sesshoumaru! The baby's almost out!" Akira cried, his face covered in sweat.

Sesshoumaru did as best he could, whispering words of encouragement in her ear, all the while his gaze was fixed on Akira's arms with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. For a split second, he wanted to tell Akira to keep his hands away from his wife's nether regions, but he had to remind himself that it was necessary, so he held his tongue.

"Push, Kagome!" commanded Akira, his green eyes intense. _"Push!" _

_"I'm trying!"_ she shrieked, eyes squeezed shut against the pain.

Sesshoumaru didn't think he could take hearing her screams of anguish anymore. It was far too much for him. He couldn't bear listening to his wife be in such pain. Why couldn't he take the pain for her? If only he could!

"You're almost there, Kagome! One more push, baby! Come on!"

Another scream as she pushed hard back against her husband's body. Sesshoumaru held her tightly, and near tears himself, he was suddenly assaulted by another sound. A different sound.

_The sound of an infant crying._

His head came up in time to see a small, slimy, grey thing emerge from between his wife's thighs and his eyes flew open. His son!

Akira quickly grabbed the infant and held it to him, his face turning up to Sesshoumaru's. Jaken, who had been standing nearby, held out a pair of scissors to Sesshoumaru. "Cut the cord, Sesshoumaru," Akira told him with a grin. "You've got a beautiful baby girl."

"What? A... girl? I have a girl?" Dazedly, he accepted the scissors and cut the cord binding his daughter to Kagome. "But... I thought..."

The doctor busied himself with examining the tiny, screaming girl. "Ultrasounds aren't foolproof, Sesshoumaru. Sometimes infants cleverly hide their sex organs with a stray leg or foot. It happens." He handed the baby to Kagome so he could check on her. "Kagome? How are you feeling?" he asked, removing the afterbirth and cleaning her up as best he could.

Kagome, still laying back against her husband, shook her head slowly. "Like a herd of rogue buffalo has just had a stampede all over my body." Her eyes, however, were fixed upon the infant in her arms. "She's so beautiful," she breathed, her lips curving into a watery smile. "Sesshoumaru, isn't she beautiful?"

Her husband kissed the top of his wife's head, closing his eyes for a brief moment. He had been so terrified seeing Kagome lying on the ground earlier, clutching her swollen belly and groaning in pain. The first thought that had crossed his mind was, _'Is she dying?' _He'd never dealt with childbirth before and seeing it happen right before his eyes was an unforgettable experience, but seeing his own child being born... that was something else all together. It was extra special to him.

"She's perfect," he told her, his arms tightening around her. "Just like her mother."

His wife laughed and immediately yawned. Sesshoumaru smiled. His number one girl was exhausted. "Sleep, my love," he whispered. "Your work is over. Let me take care of you." He shifted her up on the bed to lay beside him. His arms wrapped around her once more, feeling her body beginning to go limp.

Kagome's arms trembled slightly and she nodded wearily, handing the child over to Akira, who immediately took her away to get her cleaned up. Jaken accompanied him to the bathroom.

Inuyasha and Souta, both white-faced and nervous-looking, peeked around the bedroom door. "Kagome?" Souta called out softly.

Putting a finger to his lips, Sesshoumaru waved them both in. They crept in when they noticed that Kagome was fast asleep in Sesshoumaru's arms.

"Where's my niece?" whispered Souta, casting a glance at the bathroom.

"What? How did you know that?" Sesshoumaru demanded, his head shooting up off the pillow.

Souta only gave him a sly, knowing look before turning to see Akira and Jaken emerge from the bathroom. Kagome's little brother went over to them and took the baby from Akira. He smiled down at the tiny girl and made soft, cooing sounds at her.

Inuyasha went over to where Souta, the doctor and the butler stood gazing in wonder at the latest addition to the Morikawa clan. He no longer despised Sesshoumaru for getting Kagome pregnant, although he _still_ admitted to being jealous of his big brother. But at that moment, all his pettiness vanished, leaving behind an uncle smitten by his infant niece.

Several minutes had passed before Akira took the baby away from her uncles, who had began to argue about just whom would get to hold her next and lay her down between her parents. Kagome hadn't stirred an inch, while Sesshoumaru contented himself with watching her sleep.

"You're not going to fall asleep are you?" Akira asked, wondering if he should take the baby until her mother woke up.

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "No, I'm wide awake. I'd like sometime alone with my wife and child, if you guys don't mind," he requested, his gaze dropping down to his swaddled daughter, who let loose a mighty yawn.

"Certainly," the doctor agreed with a smile. "Call me if you need me." He turned and left the room, the others

reluctantly at his heels.

After the door closed, Sesshoumaru looked down at the bed and found a pair of bright, honey-colored eyes staring with fascination up at him. Bringing his hand up, he touched the tip of his daughter's nose. "Hey you," he whispered, allowing her miniscule hand to reach up out of her blanket to grab his finger. Her hand was so small, her fingers couldn't wrap around his index finger.

He grinned suddenly and leaned down to kiss her forehead. She smelt delightful, exactly the way a baby should smell, and his insides did an odd, happy little flip. He thought only Kagome could make him feel all weird inside... but then, he'd never been a father before.

His eyes strayed up to her head and lifting up her skullcap, he saw whisps of silvery-white hair. How strange it was, seeing his face and features on another person besides his brother. He wondered if he'd ever get used to it.

A soft, contented gurgling bubbled up from his little girl and he chuckled. He supposed they should start thinking of a name for her soon. It had been a shock to discover that his highly anticipated son had turned out being a girl; he'd even had a name picked out and everything. A few months earlier, he would have had the nursery done in shades of blue, but Kagome had nixed that idea. She kept telling him not to be too hasty, but Sesshoumaru had only teased her, telling her that ultrasound hadn't lied, that their child was a boy. But she remained firm that the ultrasound had been mistaken and in the interest of peace, Sesshoumaru allowed her to decorate the nursery in soft hues of blue, green, pink and purple.

Sesshoumaru sighed as his little girl popped the tip of his finger into her mouth. "You're going to be a stubborn one, aren't you?" he asked her, watching her suck contentedly on his fingertip. "You've done something very few people have ever done. You, short stuff, have managed to fool me. I think I might have trouble with you later on."

Her eyes began to flutter closed and soon, she was fast asleep. As for her mother, Kagome continued to sleep peacefully and deeply while her husband alternated his attention from her to their daughter and back again. His world, his entire world, lay in the circle of his arms, he thought, his eyes misting.

He thought about how things could have happened; how they could have ended. But they hadn't ended another way and she hadn't ended up with another man. Kagome was his, the way she should have been from the very beginning. The way she had always been.

Despite all that had happened, Kagome had ended up with him, completing his life, and given him a beautiful daughter to boot. What a long, exhausting struggle it had been

Sesshoumaru smiled again. The two females that lay in his arms had been worth every ounce of pain life had thrown at him.

And he wouldn't have had it any other way.

The End.

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A/N: Okay then! That's it! I hope this ending was satisfying. If it wasn't, I do apologize, but my steam on this fic has finally run out. I loved writing it, but it was time for it to be over.

Thanks to everyone who read it and a double thanks to everyone who took the time to send me a review. You guys are all so awesome!

Peace!

Raven Skye Blackhawk


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